Canada Once More Reduces the Number of International Students Admitted in an Effort to Stop “Bad Actors.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada declared that the government will begin a ten percent reduction in the number of foreign students it accepts beginning in 2025.
According to Trudeau, the move is intended to shield the nation from unscrupulous individuals abusing the immigration system.
“Immigration is an advantage for our economy — but when bad actors abuse the system and take advantage of students, we crack down”, according to Trudeau, it’s critical to preserve a balance between immigration and national security.
Because of its low birth rate, Canada has historically relied on economic immigration to increase its revenue and provide social services like healthcare and education. Nonetheless, a change in the nation’s liberal immigration posture is reflected in the most recent policy reforms.
To control the flood of foreign students, the Canadian government imposed a two-year limit on study permits earlier this year. Marc Miller, the minister of immigration, recently declared that 364,000 undergraduate study permits will be granted in 2024—a 35 percent drop from the year before. Depending on the population of each province and territory, the total number will be allocated to them.
Canada has adjusted its labour market laws, including lowering the number of temporary foreign workers, in addition to restricting student visas. This change follows the extension of the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program in 2022, which was first designed to fill one million unfilled jobs nationwide.
The changes are in line with Canada’s continuous attempts to uphold a system of immigration that is sustainable while guaranteeing the country’s robust labour market and social services.
