CIMM – Narrative for CIMM appearance – February 28, 2024

Improving the integrity of the International Student Program

International students enrich our communities and are a critical part of Canada’s social, cultural and economic fabric.

In recent years, the integrity of the international student system has been threatened. Some institutions have significantly increased their intakes to drive revenues, while more students have been arriving in Canada without the supports they need to succeed, making them more vulnerable to exploitation from bad actors. At the same time, the rapid and drastic increase in the number of international students arriving in Canada has put pressure on housing, health care and other services.

Recently, IRCC has announced measures to stabilize the overall number of international students arriving to alleviate these pressures while ensuring that those who arrive in Canada are supported and set up for success.

In early 2023, some international students and graduates began to face enforcement action related to the submission of fake documents in their previous study permit application. Some of these individuals were genuine students who came to Canada to pursue their studies but were duped by bad actors who claimed to be helping them.

In June 2023, a joint IRCC-CBSA taskforce was established to investigate cases of fraudulent acceptance letters to ensure that genuine students did not face removal from Canada. As of February 26, 2024, the taskforce has reviewed 108 cases. Of the reviewed cases, 67 individuals were determined to be genuine students. For the others, CBSA’s removal proceedings have continued.

To increase the integrity of the International Student Program and better protect vulnerable students from fraud, on December 1, 2023, post-secondary designated learning institutions (DLIs) began verifying each overseas applicant’s letter of acceptance directly with IRCC to ensure it is valid. On January 30, 2024, the process was updated to include in-Canada applications for study permit extensions.

International students who arrive in Canada without adequate funds are more vulnerable to being exploited by an employer or might feel forced to accept a poor housing situation. To ensure international students are prepared for costs associated with life in Canada, on December 7, 2023, IRCC announced that the cost-of-living financial requirement for study permit applicants will be raised so that international students are financially better prepared for life in Canada. For 2024, a single applicant needs to show they have $20,635, representing 75% of the low-income cut-off (LICO), in addition to their first year of tuition and travel expenses. Moving forward, this threshold will be adjusted each year when Statistics Canada updates the LICO. This change was implemented for all new study permit applications received on or after January 1, 2024.

On January 22, 2024, IRCC announced measures to stabilize the number of international students in Canada, including an intake cap on study permit applications, and changes to post-graduation work permit (PGWP) and open work permit eligibility.

Education is the responsibility of provinces and territories, and together with their learning institutions, they decide how many international students they can host. However, we expect that institutions will accept only the number of students they can support and help to find adequate housing.

With this in mind, IRCC set a two-year cap on the intake of study permit applications, with some exceptions, to slow the growth of the International Student Program while other reforms take full effect. Some international students will be exempted from the cap, including primary and secondary school students, master’s and doctoral degree students, in-Canada study and work permit holders, and in-Canada family members of study permit or work permit holders.

IRCC is allocating a portion of the cap to each province and territory, who will then distribute the allocation among their DLIs. Most post-secondary study permit applicants are also now required to include a provincial attestation letter in their application to show that they have been approved to be part of a province or territory’s allocation. Provinces and territories are expected to establish a process for issuing attestation letters to students by March 31, 2024.

We have also announced two changes to the PGWP Program. Graduates of master’s degree granting programs are excellent candidates to succeed in Canada’s labour market and potentially transition to permanent residence. As of February 15, 2024, a three-year PGWP is available to those who are graduating from a master’s degree program that is less than two years and who meet all other PGWP eligibility criteria. This will give them the opportunity to obtain the Canadian work experience required to apply for permanent residence.

Some provinces allow public colleges to license their curriculum to be delivered by an affiliated private college. In these cases, students physically attend a private college but graduate with a diploma from a public institution. Concerns have been raised about the quality of the education provided by these institutions as well as the lack of student supports. The Auditor General of Ontario has also raised concerns about a lack of oversight of program quality and student services at these institutions.

Beginning on September 1, 2024, PGWP eligibility will be restricted for public-private partnership college programs, and we anticipate that, without the ability to apply for a PGWP, there will be a reduction in the number of international students enrolling in them.

In the coming weeks, eligibility for open work permits for the spouses and common-law partners of international students will also be updated. Eligibility will be limited to the spouses and common-law partners of students in graduate (master’s and doctorate) and professional degree granting programs only. This recognizes their increased likelihood of successfully transitioning to permanent residence as well as the economic potential of the international students they are accompanying. Although the spouses and common-law partners of international students in other levels of study, including undergraduate and college programs, will no longer be eligible for an open work permit, those who already hold an open work permit under this stream will continue to be eligible for renewals, to minimize the impact on families who are already in Canada.

While these reforms will help to ensure that international students have a positive academic experience, support sustainable population growth in Canada and improve system integrity, reforms to the International Student Program are ongoing. Work also continues with provinces and territories, DLIs and national education stakeholders on the adoption of a recognized institutions’ framework, which would benefit post-secondary DLIs that set a higher standard for services, support and outcomes for international students, including housing. These DLIs will benefit, for example, from priority processing of study permits for applicants who plan to attend their school.