In order to lower the number of foreign students admitted to the nation, the Canadian government plans to implement a nationwide cap.
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In an interview with CTV’s Question Period on Sunday, Canada’s immigration minister, Marc Miller, stated that a meeting between the federal government and provincial governments is necessary “to ensure that the provinces that have not been doing their jobs actually rein in those numbers on a pure volume basis.”
Miller remarked, “That volume is disconcerting,” in relation to the quantity of foreign students enrolled in Canadian universities. “In actuality, the system has gotten out of hand.”
According to Obasanjo News24, as of January 1, 2024. Canada increased the $10,000 “cost-of-living financial requirement for study permit applicants,” which essentially refers to foreign students, to $20,000.
In response to the new construction, Miller stated, “The Canadian government has come under fire for accepting a growing number of immigrants—both temporary and permanent residents—while the nation is severely short on housing.”
However, new reporting by The Canadian Press, which cites internal papers obtained through an access to information request, reveals that public officials cautioned the government two years ago that its aggressive immigration plans would put housing affordability at risk.
The Liberals have established goals with the intention of bringing in 485,000 newcomers this year and 500,000 in 2025 and 2026.
Another factor to consider is temporary residents, of which over 300,000 arrived in Canada in the third quarter of last year. These individuals are primarily foreign students and migrant labourers.
Miller stated that in order to assist lower the demand for accommodation, he may consider imposing a cap on international students in the first and second quarters of this year.
A cap has been discussed for months, so why is his government just now considering it? Miller responded that federal data must be sorted out before looking “a little more granularly” at what specific universities are doing in various provinces that may stand to gain financially from enrolling more foreign students.
“We must perform our duties and ensure that we have a system in place that verifies offer letters and ensures individuals have the financial means to enter Canada,” Miller stated.
“And now is the appropriate time for us to discuss volumes and the effects they are having in specific areas.”
Miller pointed out that imposing a quota on foreign students would not be a “one-size-fits-all solution” to Canada’s housing crisis.
In response to additional questions about how many foreign students are entering Canada at a rate significantly higher than the number of houses the federal government has declared it intends to assist in building, Miller clarified that housing is simply one factor in the immigration objectives calculation. “It’s imperative that the average age of the workforce be lowered as well,” the speaker stated.
Miller stated the federal government is thinking about (and will continue to think about) placing a cap on the number of foreign students, though he would not provide details.
He added that the financial requirements of academic institutions are also a consideration. “We have a sense of what those numbers would look like, what the reduction of those numbers look like, out of courtesy to my colleagues in the provinces, those are discussions that we’re first going to have around the negotiation table,” he said.
