Canada has announced further cuts to the number of study permits for foreign students and introduced stricter criteria for work permits as part of efforts to limit temporary residents. The government made the announcement on Wednesday, amid increasing public debate on the issue.
Under the new rules, the number of international study permits will be capped at 437,000 in 2025. In comparison, Canada granted 509,390 permits in 2023, and 175,920 in just the first seven months of 2024. The changes also restrict work permits for spouses of certain students and temporary foreign workers.
We’re granting 35% fewer international student permits this year. And next year, that number’s going down by another 10%.
Immigration is an advantage for our economy — but when bad actors abuse the system and take advantage of students, we crack down.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) September 18, 2024
The announcement comes as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government, trailing in the public opinion polls and coming off a major by-election loss this week, seeks to reduce the number of temporary residents – including international students and foreign workers – in the country.
The issue has become one of the most contentious in Canadian politics with a federal election due no later than October, 2025.
