Canada plans to reduce new visas for international students by more than one-third this year. The government aims to slow the rapid growth of temporary residents, which has strained the country’s housing system.
This move will have an impact on Nigerians hoping to travel to Canada for higher education. Immigration Minister Marc Miller disclosed the decision during a three-day cabinet retreat in Montreal.
Mr Miller explained that a temporary cap on new student visas will be in place for 2024 and 2025. The number of new visas issued this year will be limited to 364,000, marking a 35% decrease from the nearly 560,000 issued last year. The 2025 visa allocation will be determined after a later assessment.
“In the spirit of fairness, we are also allocating the cap space by province based on population, such that some provinces will see much more significant reductions,” noted Miller, according to local paper Prince George Citizen.
Ontario, a province with significant growth in international students, will have its allotment of new visas halved. The cap specifically applies to post-secondary undergraduate students, excluding those pursuing master’s programs, doctoral degrees, or elementary and high school education.
Minister Miller hopes that this measure will provide federal and provincial governments with time to address issues in a system that he believes takes advantage of high international student tuition while sometimes providing a poor education. He acknowledged, “It’s a bit of a mess. It’s time to rein it in.”
In 2022, Canada set a record by welcoming 550,000 international students. Nigeria contributed significantly with 16,725 students, ranking fifth globally after India, China, the Philippines, and France, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
“Unscrupulous Schools”
In Canada last year, visas for studying were held by over 900,000 foreign students. These visas typically span three years, indicating that not all visa holders were freshly admitted in 2023.
Over the past decade, the overall number of foreign students has more than tripled. While the federal government is responsible for issuing visas, it falls to the provinces to grant approval to schools accepting international students.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller has condemned certain schools for their unscrupulous practices, taking advantage of high tuition fees paid by foreign students without ensuring a quality education.
Some of these institutions act as gateways for students, enabling them to convert a student visa into permanent residence in Canada. In response to these concerns, the Canadian government plans to bar students in private-public model schools from obtaining postgraduate work permits starting September 1.
Furthermore, in a few weeks’ time, the government said open work permits will exclusively be accessible to spouses of students enrolled in master’s and doctoral programs, along with professional courses such as medicine and law.
Minister Miller had forewarned provinces in the fall, emphasizing the need for decisive action against unethical school operators. Failure to address these concerns may result in the imposition of caps that provinces might find unfavorable.
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