The people who run Canada’s universities and colleges are warning that Ottawa’s crackdown on international student visas threatens the viability of post-secondary institutions — and could leave students in more remote communities with fewer options.
In September, the federal government announced it would slash the number of visas it issues by another 10 per cent. The new target for 2025 and 2026 will be 437,000 permits. In 2024, the target was 485,000 permits.
Pari Johnston, president of Colleges and Institute Canada, said international students play an important role in making many college programs viable.
Student recruiter Meti Basiri tells The House how the dramatic cut in the number of international student visas has lowered Canada’s global appeal; then the president and vice-chancellor of Western University Alan Shepard and the president and CEO of Colleges and Institutes Canada Pari Johnston detail their concerns about the knock-on effect on the wider education system; and Immigration Minister Marc Miller and Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy respond to criticisms.
“There aren’t always enough Canadian students to fill a program, particularly those higher-cost programs in the trades [and] health care,” Johnston told CBC’s The House.
Johnston also said the study permit cuts, coupled with “under-investment in public education in several provinces,” will leave students in remote regions of Canada with fewer education options as colleges struggle with their budgets.
The federal government is also tightening restrictions on post-graduation work permits for international students.
In September, the federal government announced that graduates from programs at public colleges will still be eligible for a permit for up to three years if they “graduate from a field of study linked to occupations in long-term shortage.”
Johnston said restricting work permit eligibility to national labour market needs has been “a bigger blow” and runs counter to the realities of Canada’s economy, which takes a more regional approach to labour.
