TORONTO: Canada has announced a significant measure to address housing, healthcare, and service pressures by implementing a two-year cap on international student visas. Immigration Minister Marc Miller revealed a 35 percent reduction in new study visas for 2024, citing concerns about institutions offering “sham” degrees that contribute to housing and healthcare burdens.
The new cap limits the issuance of new visas to 364,000, a notable reduction from the nearly 560,000 visas issued last year. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Cabinet retreat in Montreal is set to prioritize affordability and housing, responding to the challenges posed by the country’s record immigration.
With approximately 1 million foreign students currently in Canada, Miller stressed the need for intervention to prevent a continuous increase in this number. The total number of foreign students has more than tripled over the past decade.
Miller highlighted the challenges of housing pressures and the exploitation of the international student program by unscrupulous schools. Some institutions accept high tuition fees without providing a quality education, while others serve as a pathway for students to obtain permanent residency.
The immigration minister emphasized that the program’s intention is not to support “sham commerce degrees” and businesses operating under the guise of education. Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre criticized the situation, attributing it to Trudeau’s issuance of study permits to students attending fake schools.
As Canada experienced a population growth of about 1 million people last year, reaching a record of 40 million, concerns about the cost of living, including rents and mortgages, have escalated. The impact of immigration and the surge in foreign students on the housing market remains a topic of debate.
Economists and the public acknowledge a connection between the influx of students and rising rents, though house prices appear less affected. Political science professor Nelson Wiseman noted that immigration targets are likely to stay high, driven by economic realities and the aging population’s reliance on government-funded services.
