Canada Slashes Study Permits For International Students For Second Year In Row
Canada has decided to issue 4,37,000 study permits this year, a 10% reduction from 2024, says a statement from the immigration ministry
NEW DELHI: Canada has decided to cap the number of international students for a second year in a row in 2025 as the government continues to try to ease pressure on housing, healthcare and other services.
Canada will issue 437,000 study permits this year, a 10% reduction from 2024, according to a statement issued by the immigration ministry.
Canada introduced a cap on new international student permits in 2024 in view of the population growth in the recent years which was aggravating a housing shortage. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has announced to resign in March, pledged to reduce immigration levels as polls showed less support for newcomers in Canada.
In 2023, Canada issued more than 650,000 study permits to foreign students, according to government data, taking the number of international students to a record of more than a million.
Rapid population growth fuelled by immigration has put pressure on services, like healthcare and education, and has helped drive up housing costs.
However, international students contribute significantly higher tuition fees compared to domestic students.
In response to last year’s implementation of the international student cap, most study permit applicants must now submit a Provincial or Territorial Attestation Letter. This year, master’s and post-doctoral students will also need the letters.
These attestation letters are intended to confirm that students are included within the federal government’s international student cap.
The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that it plans to issue a total of 4,37,000 study permits in 2025. This marks a 10% reduction from the previous year’s cap of 4,84,000.
ALSO READ: Canada Ends Fast-track Visas for Indian Students And 13 Other Countries
Comments are closed.