Canada is re-evaluating its long-term visa program for foreign students, indicating a shift towards slower immigration and population growth. This policy change is driven by rising living costs, housing shortages, and unemployment pressures.
According to Bloomberg, Immigration Minister Marc Miller stated that the government is collaborating with provinces to align immigration with labor market needs. Although Canada has traditionally relied on universities and colleges to attract skilled, working-age immigrants, Miller stressed that study visas should not guarantee future residency or citizenship.
“People should come here to educate themselves and perhaps return home to apply those skills in their country,” he said. “That hasn’t always been the recent case.”
Earlier this year, Canada imposed a cap on international student visas, projecting fewer than 300,000 new permits this year compared to 437,000 last year. The focus is now on determining which students should be granted residency after their studies.
Miller emphasized the importance of ensuring that jobs available to international students match their qualifications. He also highlighted the need to carefully allocate post-graduate work permits in light of labor shortages in specific provinces.
“The logic for having uncapped or uncontrolled draws from abroad is no longer there,” he said.
The number of Canadians holding post-graduate work permits surged to 132,000 new holders in 2022, a 78% increase from four years earlier.
The government is also reviewing the temporary foreign worker program, which has faced criticism for misuse. Miller aims to reduce the proportion of temporary residents in the country from nearly 7% to 5%.
These changes have raised concerns about Canada becoming less welcoming to international students. However, Miller argues that this shift will ensure study visas are viewed as a genuine educational opportunity rather than a shortcut to permanent residency.
Despite these efforts, Miller expressed concern about growing racism in Canada, particularly in regions with large immigrant populations, acknowledging that Canada’s strong consensus on immigration is being eroded.
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