As housing prices and the cost of living for international students, has skyrocketed, the federal government recently told Global News that it is “undertaking a review” of international student immigration. 

This news comes after Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Minister Marc Miller communicated with The Canadian Press that he is willing to reconsider international student enrolments, “particularly amid fraud concerns.”

However, outright cuts to study permit issuances may be perceived as anti-immigration.  This is perhaps why IRCC spokesperson Jeffery MacDonald, recently stated: “IRCC does not establish levels/caps for study permits in the way we do for permanent residence programs through the multi-year levels plan.”

There are more effective measures that can be taken that will achieve a significant reduction in annual student admissions to Canada.

It is common knowledge among industry insiders that the current study permit program is really a work permit program that largely caters to Indian foreign nationals who make up the bulk of the foreign student market in Canada.

In December 2021, restrictions for foreign students to work a maximum of 20 hours each week, were lifted.  This essentially enables hundreds of thousands of students from India and elsewhere to relocate to Canada with the stated intention they will become full time students at one of the thousands of approved colleges and universities, mostly in Ontario.

In truth, a large number are counselled by unlicensed agents overseas, they can simply pay the cost of tuition and ignore the requirements of becoming a full-time student and work full time under an open-work permit.  Approved colleges, many taking on enrollments that exceed their teaching capacity, are motivated by profits, and willingly turn a blind eye to the charade being orchestrated from abroad with the full complicity of these students.

The way out of this morass is clear.  Ottawa must roll back its pilot project for international students and re-instate the 20-hours-a-week work limit.  This will remove the incentive for thousands of would be workers, to falsely present themselves as bona fide students, when in fact they are not.

Designated Learning Institutions, must also be targeted.  As a condition of their designation, they must be obligated to ensure its students comply with school policies to attend classes, write examinations and participate as full-time students.   Spot checks and regular reporting must be presented regularly to IRCC to ensure the student status being given, is being used for its intended purpose.

Failure to comply by both students and schools must have consequences for schools, as is the case for employers who are held to compliance standards under the temporary foreign worker program.  

Finally, the number of acceptances being issued by designated learning institutions, must not exceed a formula related to the number of seats in a classroom, the number of instructors on staff and the overall revenues the school receives from foreign students, as a percentage of its overall revenues.

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Record Number of International Students Coming to Canada

The number of international students to Canada has steadily climbed since the mid-2000s, reaching 638,300 in 2019 and over 800,000 in 2022. 

While COVID-19 disrupted this uptick by a 17% drop in study permit grants in 2020, the number of international students increased again in 2021 to reach 621,600 (near to pre-pandemic levels). 

Moreover, roughly three in ten international students entering Canada in 2000 or later became landed immigrants within ten years. 

These Statistical trends showcase Canada’s international student population – especially from countries such as India, Nigeria, and China – to be increasing over time. 

How Canadian Post-Secondary Institutions Benefit from International Students

According to Steve Pomeroy, senior research fellow for the Centre for Urban Research and Education at Carleton University, international students have been a means for post-secondary institutions to make up for lost revenue from funding cutbacks by the provinces. 

However, their utility does not end there. Last year, RBC published a thought leadership report according to which international students are one of Canadian immigration policy’s key pillars. 

In fact, they contribute about 17% of all new permanent residents and 40% of all immigrants in the economic category. 

They are a rich source of skilled global talent, and are twice as likely as domestic students to study engineering and more than 2.5 times as likely to study maths and computer sciences – two of the top areas projected to face labor shortages. 

However, the report further postulates that as the international battle for these talented foreign students escalates, Canada needs to “sharpen its policies to maintain the edge.”

“Canada risks losing its shine as other destinations beckon top international students pursuing STEM and other programs such as healthcare and trades,” writes the report. 

“As top-tier talent becomes more elusive, the pressure to attract and retain them will escalate.”

Given the challenges presented by the record number of student admissions, the largest of all its temporary residence programs; the rising housing costs and other infrastructure challenges that accompany a rapid influx of temporary residents, Ottawa must now re-think its policies on international student immigration.

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