- “We now have allowed sure points of the market to get overheated, and for too lengthy” mentioned Immigration Minister – pointing to rising measurement of non permanent resident inhabitants
- Additional discount of 10% this 12 months on cap allocation whereas subsequent 12 months, Masters and PhD college students will likely be included within the cap.
- Entry to Canada’s Publish-graduate Work Program to be managed by way of language competency exams
The Canadian authorities has introduced new worldwide scholar examine permits will likely be diminished by 10% from the 2024 goal of 485,000. The consumption cap for 2026 will likely be stabilised, remaining the identical as in 2025.
For 2025, this implies decreasing examine permits issued to 437,000.
On September 18, throughout a joint press convention held in Ottawa, minister of immigration Marc Miller and minister of employment Randy Boissonnault introduced adjustments to the nation’s immigration system, many pertaining to the worldwide scholar program:
- Additional limits on quantity worldwide scholar permits, as outlined above
- 2025–2026 examine allow consumption cap will embody grasp’s and doctoral college students
- All PGWP candidates will likely be required to reveal a minimal language proficiency in French or English
- PGWP program will likely be up to date to align with immigration targets and labour market wants
- Work allow eligibility to be restricted to spouses of grasp’s diploma college students to solely these whose program is no less than 16 months in period
- Work allow eligibility to be restricted to spouses of international staff in administration or skilled occupations or in sectors with labour shortages—underneath Canada’s work allow packages (TFWP and IMP)
The unique cap excluded college students enrolled in grasp’s and PhD packages. The 2025–2026 examine allow consumption cap will embody grasp’s and doctoral college students who will now need to submit a provincial or territorial attestation letter.
The federal government mentioned it is going to be reserving roughly 12% of allocation areas for these college students in recognition of the advantages they convey to the Canadian labour market.
As a part of adjustments to the PGWP program, all candidates will likely be required to reveal a minimal language proficiency in French or English, which the federal government mentioned will improve their “capability to transition to everlasting residence and adapt to altering financial situations”.
The fact is that not everybody who desires to return to Canada will be capable to
Immigration minister Marc Miller
“The fact is that not everybody who desires to return to Canada will be capable to—identical to not everybody who desires to remain in Canada will be capable to,” mentioned Miller.
“We’re taking motion to strengthen our non permanent residence packages and roll out a extra complete immigration plan to satisfy the calls for of right now’s altering panorama. Our immigration system should protect its integrity, and be nicely managed and sustainable. And as we glance ahead, we’ll do the whole lot it takes to realize that purpose and set newcomers up for fulfillment.”
The January 2024 cap was mentioned to be non permanent, lasting initially for 2 years, with the goal of decreasing worldwide scholar numbers again to 2022 ranges. There have been over 800,000 worldwide college students within the nation in 2022 – nearly a 3rd greater than the earlier 12 months.
“Merely put, the worldwide scholar cap is right here to remain.” mentioned Miller.
He started summarising the adjustments by noting the variety of non permanent residents in Canada.
This quantity, he noticed, “has grown nearly exponentially over the previous few years from about 437,000 people in 2019 alone to about 1.2 million in 2023”. And he noticed, “That comes with penalties.”
Canadian immigration information for the primary half of 2024 confirmed a major decline in examine allow purposes and issuance in Q2, in an early signal that the federal government’s caps are assembly goals.
