CIMM - International Students

Key messages

• International students provide tremendous social, cultural and economic benefits to their campuses, their communities and to Canada.
• We recognize how uncertainty regarding travel may impact how education institutions are planning their program offering. The Department is working with partners on measures to support the fall 2020 intake of international students.

Supporting distance-learning eligibility for the Post-Graduation Work Permit

• International students who were studying in Canada already, or who started programs in the spring, summer or fall, that are offered by institutions in Canada will not be penalized for classes moving online in terms of their possible post-graduation work permit eligibility. The student will be expected to have completed at least 50% of their study program in class in Canada before they can eventually qualify for a post-graduation work permit. Officers will also be guided not to deduct, from the length of their post-graduation work permit, any of the time spent studying online from outside of Canada up until December 31, 2020.

Supporting employment in essential sectors

• The Department temporarily lifted the 20-hour-per-week restriction on study permit holders working off-campus during their academic session, provided they are working in an essential service or function.

Supplementary messages

Working with Stakeholders on Fall Intake

• The Department has been in close and ongoing communication with provinces and territories, and education sector stakeholders, to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• We recognize how the uncertainty regarding travel may impact the need for education institutions to plan their program offering. In that light, the Department is working with partners on measures that can be put in place to support the fall 2020 intake of international students.
• To provide some reassurance to prospective international students and Canadian learning institutions, my Department will prioritize study permit processing for international students who can submit complete study permit applications.
• For prospective students unable to submit all the necessary information in order to complete the processing of their study permit application package due to service interruptions, the Department is exploring what alternative means we have to provide students and learning institutions at least some level of reassurance that students can begin to study online from their home country.
• We know students and stakeholders are concerned with application backlogs. The Department is monitoring the situation closely and is considering options such as re-assigning staff working in areas that have seen a decrease in application volumes (e.g., temporary resident visas for visitors) to process study permit applications and reduce backlogs.

Travel Restrictions and Exemptions

• On March 18, 2020, the Government of Canada put in place measures to restrict air travel to Canada by most foreign nationals overseas, including international students. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada became aware that a number of study permit holders, including minor international students, had been travelling at that time of the restriction and were stranded abroad and unable to return to Canada.
• On March 26, 2020, the Government introduced exemptions to the travel restrictions to allow study permit holders, as well as study permit applicants who had received written approval of their application before noon on March 18, 2020, to travel to Canada.

Measures to Extend Stay and Document Requirements

• Recognizing the impact of the travel restriction, international students in Canada whose permits were set to expire in the near future were encouraged to apply online to renew their status. By doing so, they can continue to study and/or work while their application is in process.
• The Department is providing more time for applicants to provide necessary documentation (from 30 days to 90 days), and has committed that no application would be refused for non-compliance where an applicant is unable to provide the required documents or information during this time.

Post-Graduation Work Permit and Distance Learning

• Due to the health and travel restrictions, many international students and academic institutions expressed concern about the possible effects of the students’ eligibility for a post-graduation work permit. This permit provides the international student with the opportunity to work in Canada for up to 3 years following their graduation, depending on the length of their program.
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced that students who were studying in Canada and whose classes were moved online due to the emergency, should not be penalized on their post-graduation work permit eligibility, including the length of the work permit, provided they completed at least 50% of their study program in class in Canada.
• Given the uncertainty around when travel and health restrictions will be lessened, this temporary policy change was expanded to include students who will be starting their program with an institution in Canada in spring, summer or fall but who will be taking them online, either from within Canada or in their home country. This will cover online studies taken up until December 31, 2020.

Lifting the restriction on off-campus work for international students working in an essential service or function

• On April 22, 2020, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced that study permit holders could work more than 20 hours/week off-campus during their academic session, without any repercussions, provided they are working in an essential service or function. This facilitation, which went into effect immediately, is in place until August 31, 2020.
• This facilitation was put in place to respond to requests from provinces, territories and other federal government departments to relax the limitations on international students already in Canada to work more than the 20 hours/week during the current academic session so that they may contribute to COVID-19 response efforts.
• International students and employers can consult the Government’s Guide on Essential Services and Functions During the COVID-19 pandemic for information on whether the work may be considered an essential service or function.

Supporting facts and figures

• International students contribute over $21B per year to the Canadian economy – greater than exports of auto parts, lumber or aircrafts.
• Canada offers a generous international student program. Worldwide, Canada ranks 4th for education destination of choice.
• In 2019, the Department issued more than 415,000 study permits to international students, including extensions (13% increase over 2018). The average study permit approval rate in 2019 was 58% (excluding extensions).
• In 2019, there were 828,356 international students in Canada studying from primary to post-secondary levels (in 2015, there were 495,590 students in Canada).

Applications for Study Permits and Extensions

• From January to May 2020, the Department received 190,897 applications for new study permits, including extensions. This compares to 223,881 for the same period in 2019.
• The most significant decrease happened in May 2020 when only 33,498 applications for study permits and extensions were received compared to 67,022 in May 2019.

Applications Processed – Study Permit and Extensions

• From January to May 2020, the Department processed 157,135 applications for study permits and extensions. This compares to 205,799 for the same time period in 2019.
• In May 2020, the number of study permit extensions processed heavily exceeded processing of new study permit applications (32,062 vs 3,364 respectively).