CIMM – Minister’s Opening Statement – February 28, 2024

Thank you, Chair.

I want to begin by acknowledging that we’re meeting on the traditional and unceded territories of the Algonquin Anishinaabe People.

I’m glad to be back at this committee, twice this month, to discuss reforms to the International Student Program, as well as international student fraud and an update on the task force.

In recent years, we’ve seen increases in the number of international students arriving in Canada. Some institutions have significantly increased the number of international students they receive to boost revenues, without providing students with the resources and supports needed for success.

This has rendered international students vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. We must have safeguards in place to protect newcomers while maintaining system integrity.

That’s why we’ve introduced reforms to the program to improve system integrity, support international students in Canada and better protect them from exploitation.

As of December 2023, we’ve established a mandatory letter of acceptance verification system for all post-secondary institutions to help protect students and institutions from fraud.

We’ve also launched a task force to identify genuine international students who are victims of schemes around fraudulent letters of admission.

Beginning in January, we increased the financial requirements for international students to $20,635. This will help ensure students are financially prepared for life in Canada and are less vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.

While this was a necessary step to ensure international students can support themselves, we understand that increasing the financial requirements may have a disproportionate effect on students from low-income and Francophone countries. We’re working on two pilot projects to mitigate that impact.

Additionally, international students at private institutions that have curriculum licensing agreements with public institutions will no longer be eligible for a work permit upon graduation. Public-private partnerships are notorious for lacking oversight and, as such, do not provide the quality academic experience Canada is renowned for.

Not only do many of these institutions fail international students, they also jeopardize the reputation of Canada and its designated learning institutions as global leaders in education.

These measures will safeguard international students, bolster program integrity and maintain Canada’s competitive edge in recruiting top talent.

International students make large financial and personal investments to come to Canada, and many intend to stay here as permanent residents on a path to citizenship. This is the crux of the program; we want and need these students to stay in Canada and fill our labour gaps. However, unbridled growth has led to unprecedented numbers of international students in Canada. This jeopardizes the pathway to citizenship they expect.

That’s why, in addition to these reforms, we’ve introduced a two-year cap on new study permits. Provinces and territories remain responsible for post-secondary education, and they allocate cap spaces to their designated learning institutions.

Students here for graduate degrees and PhDs, as well as primary and secondary students, are exempt from these measures.

To keep the intent of these reforms beyond the cap, we’re developing the Recognized Institutions Framework, which we’ll adopt in the coming months. Many institutions have not only promoted unsustainable growth, but also accepted students without the ability to provide proper supports, including housing, along with unethical recruitment practices.

By penalizing the bad actors and rewarding the good ones, this framework will provide a smooth transition away from the cap.

The cap and other reforms I’ve discussed today aren’t a full stop for international students to study here. Instead, these measures will help maintain the permanent resident and citizenship pathways, attract and retain top talent, and ensure students destined for Canada can access critical resources and supports.

I should note that international students aren’t responsible for the challenges communities currently face in housing, health care and other services. These are vital services all Canadians must be able to access, including the students we welcome.

As we welcome bright students from around the world, we’re responsible to ensure they’re prepared to navigate life and thrive here, with support along the way.

Thank you. I’ll now take your questions.