Thousands of international students who were supposed to study at three major universities in Ontario have decided not to attend the fall semester. This is because of the Canadian government’s tightening of the student visa system and delays in issuing visas.
Glenn Volebrecht, president of St. Lawrence College in Kingston, said that while he had expected 1,600 new international students to enroll this fall, only 775 are attending classes. “Many students have not been able to receive their student visas on time, and about a third of them have requested a deferral,” he said, citing a change in federal policy as the main reason.
The federal government announced in January that it would cap the number of student visas issued starting in 2024, and last month, federal Immigration Minister Mark Miller announced that it would reduce the number by another 10 per cent.
As a result, Canada will be issuing about 300,000 fewer international student permits over the next few years. The number of study permits issued in 2025 and 2026 will be limited to 437,000 each.