Toronto: The Canadian government is taking further steps to reduce the number of study permits issued to international students and is tightening the eligibility criteria for work permits.
“We’re granting 35% fewer international student permits this year. And next year, that number’s going down by another 10%,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“Immigration is an advantage for our economy — but when bad actors abuse the system and take advantage of students, we crack down.”
These measures aim to lower the number of temporary residents in the country, a move that comes amidst growing political pressure on Trudeau’s Liberal government. Currently trailing in public opinion polls and reeling from a significant by-election loss, the government has placed immigration and temporary residency in the spotlight as key political issues, particularly with a federal election expected no later than October 2025.
The government announced it will reduce the number of study permits issued to international students to 437,000 by 2025. This is a huge reduction compared to the 509,390 permits granted in 2023. In the first seven months of 2024 alone, Canada issued 175,920 study permits.
The Canadian government is also tightening work permit eligibility, particularly for spouses of students and temporary foreign workers. These changes are part of a broader review of visa integrity measures aimed at detecting fraud and curbing non-genuine visitors.
“The reality is that not everyone who wants to come to Canada will be able to—just like not everyone who wants to stay in Canada will be able to,” noted Immigration Minister Marc Miller, and cited the Trudeau government’s intent to enforce stricter residency and visa policies.
The Trudeau administration has already committed to reducing the number of temporary residents to 5% of Canada’s total population, down from 6.8% as of April. While inflation has slowed to the Bank of Canada’s 2% annual target as of August, the public continues to associate migrants with economic struggles.
