Question Period Note: INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Significant increase in the number of international students coming to Canada over the past 5 years resulting in increased student vulnerability.

• International students enrich our communities and are a critical part of Canada’s social, cultural and economic fabric, but the massive growth in the number of students in recent years needed to be addressed.

• IRCC is taking action to manage volumes so that international students have a positive experience while studying and Canada is able to keep its competitive edge in recruiting top talent.

• IRCC has already introduced a number of reforms through the International Student Program review.

• In addition, new regulations took effect on November 8. Eligible students can now work up to 24 hours per week off campus while their classes are in session.

• International students must also apply and most need to be approved for a new study permit to change learning institutions. These regulations also introduced consequences for designated learning institutions that don’t follow the rules for reporting student compliance and verifying acceptance letters.

• These improvements will provide greater oversight while supporting international students and safeguarding their academic experiences in Canada.

If pressed on end of SDS

• Canada's goal is to strengthen program integrity, address student vulnerability, and give all students equal and fair access to the application process, as well as a positive academic experience.
• To meet this commitment, the Student Direct Stream (SDS) and Nigeria Student Express (NSE) initiatives ended as of November 8, 2024. Applications received on or after 2:00 p.m. ET on November 8, 2024, will be processed as regular study permit applications.
• This change will not adversely affect eligibility for those who wish to apply for a study permit from a country where the SDS or NSE initiatives have been offered.
• All students, regardless of whether they were eligible for the SDS or NSE, are required to meet Canada’s study permit application requirements.

If pressed on cost to enrollment drop

• Education is a provincial and territorial responsibility in Canada. Funding shortfalls are a long-standing challenge in the post-secondary sector; however, we cannot continue to compensate with ever-increasing volumes of international students, as this is causing community pressures, student vulnerability and program integrity challenges.
• The Government of Canada expects designated learning institutions to only accept the number of students that they can reasonably support, including providing housing options for them. Study permit applications subject to the cap require an attestation letter from a province or territory.
• Provinces and territories are responsible for distributing provincial or territorial attestation letters to meet their allocations in a way that meets their needs.
• We will continue to work closely with provinces and territories, designated learning institutions and national education stakeholders to develop a sustainable path forward for international students. These changes will help the education sector align its capacity and allow the population to grow at a sustainable pace.

If pressed on new ISP regulations

• Regulations that impose conditions on students and DLIs are in effect as of November 8, 2024.

• Changing DLIs: With the introduction of a cap on international students, as well as new regulations that require DLIs to report student compliance and verify acceptance letters, it has become more important to ensure that students are attending the institution that they were approved to attend.

• Requirements for DLIs: With the coming-into-force of the new regulations, DLIs are now required to participate in both student compliance reporting and the letter of acceptance verification process. Failing to do so could result in a DLI being suspended for a period of up to one year, during which it can’t receive new international students.

• Off-campus work hours: First and foremost, international students must be here to study, not to work. By setting the number of hours that international students may work off campus at 24 hours per week, we are allowing students to help offset some of their costs without compromising their success at school.

• Education is the responsibility of provincial and territorial governments in Canada. Provinces and territories regulate educational institutions and the programs and credentials offered in their jurisdiction. They also have the power to designate learning institutions to be allowed to host international students, as well as to de-designate them when they are found to be providing an inadequate experience for students.

If pressed on the study permit application cap

• For 2025, the target number of study permits issued is based on a 10% reduction from the 2024 target – from 485,000 to 437,000 study permits.
• Early signs indicate that the cap is effectively reining in international student volumes and recent reports also show that rent prices are decreasing in places with large student populations.
• Integrating temporary residents into our broader immigration levels is critical to supporting sustainable population growth as we respond to the changing demands of the labour market and work to strengthen alignment between immigration planning and community capacity.

If pressed on Post-Graduation Work Permits

• On September 18, as part of a series of measures to support the Government of Canada’s commitment to reduce volumes of temporary residents, new eligibility requirements were announced for the PGWP program to better align it with labour market needs and immigration goals.

• As of November 1st 2024, all PGWP applicants need to demonstrate a minimum level of language proficiency.

• Additionally, as of November 1, to be eligible for a PGWP, new study permit applicants intending to pursue college or certain shorter university programs (e.g. certificates, diplomas) will need to graduate from a field of study linked to occupations in long-term shortage.

• New study permit applicants intending to pursue university bachelor’s, Master’s, or doctorate degree program from a university in any field of study will continue to be PGWP eligible.

If pressed on international students claiming asylum
• We cannot speculate why an individual would claim asylum. The number of asylum claims per Designated Learning Institution (DLI) does not necessarily reflect the quality of a DLI or the thoroughness of the assessment of their international students.
• Around the world, a rising number of conflicts has led to increases in asylum claims, and Canada is not immune to these trends. Under the law, anyone claiming asylum in Canada has the right to due process. However, there are no guarantees that an asylum seeker will be allowed to stay in Canada.

If pressed on Recognized Institutions Framework:

• We continue to develop the "Recognized Institutions Framework". It will incentivize DLIs to improve the full range of supports they offer to their international students, including housing-related assistance.

Program Integrity Concerns – Bad Actors

• In recent years, we have seen rapid increases in the number of international students arriving in Canada. Some institutions have significantly increased their intakes to drive revenues, and more students have been arriving in Canada without the proper supports they need to succeed. During this time, a growing number of international students have claimed asylum soon after being approved for their study permit. Further, we have seen the rise of nefarious actors preying on international students for financial gain. These developments have threatened the integrity of the immigration system overall.

• To address these issues, IRCC has implemented a suite of measures, including increasing the minimum financial requirements for new students and setting an intake cap on most study permit applications. We will continue to closely monitor emerging trends during the ongoing review of the International Student Program to protect students and maintain the integrity of our immigration system.

New ISP Regulations

• New regulations to strengthen program integrity are in effect as of November 8, 2024.
• This includes modifying the limit on off-campus work during regular academic sessions from 20 hours per week to 24 hours per week. This allows students to work an additional 4 hours per week to support their costs of living, without undermining their academic success.
• They also include requiring students to attend the Designated Learning Institution (DLI) listed on their study permit, and apply for a new study permit if they intend to change DLIs.
• The regulations also impose consequences on DLIs that do not follow the rules for reporting student compliance and verifying letters of acceptance. With this change, a DLI could be suspended from welcoming new international students for up to a year for failing to comply with the required reporting.
• Designated learning institutions in Quebec have not, to date, participated in student compliance reporting. It will take Quebec and IRCC some time to set up this reporting system for Quebec DLIs. As such, Quebec DLIs have a grace period before they are required to comply with the compliance reporting requirement.
• These changes will enable IRCC to better track students, and ensure that DLIs are meeting their reporting obligations – ultimately strengthening the integrity of the International Student Program.

Study Permit Application Cap

• In addition to addressing integrity issues, the intake cap on study permit applications will contribute to the Government of Canada’s commitment, announced in March 2024, to reduce the temporary resident population to 5% of the total population in Canada by the end of 2026 (down from 6.2% in 2023).
• On September 18, 2024, IRCC announced that the target number of study permits issued for 2025 is 437,000, which is a 10% reduction from the 2024 target of 485,000 permits. For 2026, the study permit target will stabilize at the same level as 2025.
• While IRCC has published how many study permit applications spaces have been allocated to each province and territory for 2024, further details on the 2025 allocations to provinces and territories are forthcoming.
• In 2025, master’s and doctoral degree students will no longer be exempt from the cap, however IRCC will reserve a specific portion of spaces for these students in recognition of the benefits they bring to the Canadian labour market.
• Also in 2025, while most in-Canada study permit applications (also referred to as extensions) will be included in the cap, students applying to extend a study permit to complete their current program of study, as well as exchange students, will be exempt from the cap in 2025.
• While the cap and other ISP reforms may impact the finances of certain designated learning institutions, this is a pre-existing challenge in certain jurisdictions.
• The study permit intake cap and other recent measures are necessary to protect the integrity of the International Student Program and maintain Canada’s reputation as a global leader in providing high quality education. In that sense, this measure reinforces the viability and currency of this important sector in Canada’s economy.
• In addition to the implementation of a cap on most study permit applications, IRCC is considering a number of additional options to ensure that international students are well-supported while in Canada, namely the development and launch of a Recognized Institution Framework.

Recognized Institutions Framework

• Given the introduction of several reforms to the international student program, including a cap on study permit applications, IRCC is exploring options to delay the roll-out of the RIF.
• This new framework will recognize learning institutions that provide top-quality services, support and outcomes for international students.

• The proposed Recognized Institution Framework will provide benefits to institutions that are demonstrating higher standards related to international student supports, including housing. IRCC is finalizing the Framework which will include indicators related to:
o Recruiting responsibly and sustainably;
o Providing adequate student supports, including housing;
o Supporting equity and diversity, and
o Demonstrating strong student outcomes.

• IRCC has consulted provinces and territories, and national education associations. Additional details will be shared, once available, to fully explain how institutions would become recognized and what benefits that would bring.

Letter of Acceptance Verification

• Since December 1, 2023, post-secondary DLIs have been required to confirm every study permit applicant’s letter of acceptance (LOA) submitted from overseas directly with IRCC. Since January 30, 2024, post-secondary DLIs have been required to verify LOAs and/or letters of enrollment for study permit applications submitted from within Canada as well.

• This verification process aims to protect students from letter of acceptance fraud and to help them avoid similar problems that some students faced previously as a result of fraud investigations.

The financial requirement for study permit applicants

• In accordance with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, study permit applicants must demonstrate sufficient and available financial resources to cover tuition, travel to and from Canada, and cost-of-living for themselves and any dependents while they are in Canada.

• Since the early 2000s, study permit applicants were required to demonstrate that they had $10,000 to cover the cost of living for a single applicant. This financial requirement hasn’t kept up with the rising cost of living in Canada over time, resulting in some students arriving in Canada without adequate funds to cover their expenses.

• As of January 1, 2024, the financial requirement was raised to $20,635 for a single study permit applicant, to ensure that international students are financially prepared for life in Canada.

Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWP)

• As part of IRCC’s review of the post-graduation work permit program, two initial updates were made to the program:
o Starting May 15, 2024, international students who begin a study program delivered by private colleges as part of a curriculum licensing arrangement are no longer eligible for a post-graduation work permit upon graduation.
o Graduates of master's degree programs are now eligible to apply for a 3-year work permit.

• Further changes to the program were announced on September 18 and took effect on November 1, 2024:
o As of November 1, 2024, all new PGWP applicants are required to demonstrate a minimum level of language proficiency – CLB 7 level for university graduates and CLB 5 level for college graduates – to increase their ability to transition to permanent residence and to adapt to changing economic conditions.

o In addition, to be eligible for the PGWP, international students who apply for their study permit on or after November 1, 2024, and intend to pursue studies at a PGWP eligible college or certain university programs (e.g certificates, diplomas) , will need to graduate from a field of study linked to occupations in long-term shortage.

o Study permit applicants intending to pursue university bachelor’s, Master’s, or doctorate degree program from a university in any field of study will continue to be PGWP eligible.

• Those graduates who submitted a study permit application prior to November 1, 2024, will continue to be eligible provided that they meet the language requirement.

Graduates of flight schools are exempt from the language or field of study requirements.

Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot

• On August 26, 2024, the Government launched the two-year Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot (FMCSP) to attract more French-speaking students from certain countries in Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas to francophone minority communities outside Quebec.

• Applicants will need a letter of acceptance from a participating DLI to benefit from the pilot, but will not need a provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL).

• Students participating in the pilot will have access to IRCC-funded settlement services during their studies and a direct pathway to permanent residence upon graduation.

• A maximum of 2,300 study permit applications may be processed under the pilot during its first year; next year’s limit will be set later in 2025.

International Students Claiming Asylum

• The number of persons claiming asylum in Canada increased significantly between 2017 and 2023 and has continued to increase in 2024. This is in line with trends globally, with many countries seeing a rise in displaced persons which may be attributed to conflicts and other factors.

• While any individual can claim asylum, each claim is assessed on its own merits. The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) is an independent administrative tribunal, and IRB decision makers will assess each claim to determine whether an individual is in need of Canada’s international legal protection.

In pressed on open work permit for spouses
• On March 19, 2024, IRCC implemented restrictions on open work permit eligibility for spouses and common-law partners of international students. The restriction limits open work permit eligibility to spouses and common-law partners of international students in graduate degree programs, eligible pilot programs and certain professional degree programs only.
• Restrictions limiting work permit eligibility for spouses of master’s degree students based on the length of the master’s degree were announced in September. We expect to implement this further restriction in coming months.

If pressed on housing
• IRCC is aware of the acute challenges related to the housing supply and is pursuing strategies that support Canada’s continued need for immigration while also addressing our country’s current housing situation. For the federal government, this means aligning our immigration policies with measures taken to address infrastructure and housing challenges.