IRCC Deputy Minister Transition Binder 2024 – International Students
Context
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) manages the International Student Program and issues study permits to foreign nationals seeking study in Canada.
- The objectives of the international student program are for Canada to be a destination of choice for top international students, and to establish a pool of talent for workers and/or permanent immigrants, ultimately providing economic and social benefits to Canada.
- Currently, the International Student Program is demand-driven. On December 31, 2023, there were over 930K international students in Canada.
- Under existing Federal regulations, Provincial/Territorial ministries of education are solely responsible for designating institutions eligible to host international students, while IRCC processes study permits for those accepted to the Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) identified by the provinces and territories (PTs).
- For international students that meet program requirements to work in Canada during or following the completion of their studies or to transition to permanent residence, the International Student Program represents the first phase in a continuum:
- Study
- Work
- Stay
Impacts
- International students are a significant and growing contributor to the economy.
- After accounting for Canadian scholarships and bursaries, the total annual expenditures of international students, including their visiting families and friends, contributed $30.9B (i.e. 1.2%) to Canada’s gross domestic product in 2022. There was a 123% increase in study permits issued between 2019 and 2023.
- Canada’s ranking as a top destination for international students has moved from 7th place in 2015 to 3rd in 2022.
- International students are also a promising pool of talent to be tapped for temporary work or permanent residency. However, the volume of international students in Canada has grown exponentially in recent years, highlighting a number of challenges related to program integrity, student vulnerability, pressure on communities, including on housing, and lack of diversity. The education sector has also become increasingly reliant on international students as a source of revenue.
- International Student Profile for 2023:
- Study permit holders primarily from:
- India (40%)
- China (10%)
- Philippines (5%)
- Destined to:
- Ontario (52%)
- British Columbia (18%)
- Quebec (11%)
- Studying at:
- College (42%)
- University (38%)
- Primary/secondary (14%)
- Language (2%)
- Study permit holders primarily from:
Current Program
Study Phase
- Foreign nationals destined to academic, professional or vocational training programs that are longer than six months in duration require a study permit.
- A student must meet all requirements:
- Be accepted at a DLI in Canada.
- Meet admissibility requirements (i.e., financial, security and medical).
- All study permit holders are required to enroll at a DLI and actively pursue their studies for the duration of their studies.
- Unaccompanied minors who are international students must have a custodianship arrangement in place at the time of application for a study permit to ensure there are adequate arrangements in place for the care and support of the child while in Canada.
- IRCC conducts program monitoring to ensure international students respect these requirements.
- Post-secondary DLIs report to IRCC twice annually on the enrollment status of international students, allowing IRCC officers to investigate those who may be non-compliant and take action against them.
- Faster processing is available through the Student Direct Stream for those who meet upfront criteria (e.g., health, financial) in select markets (e.g., India, China, Philippines, Colombia, Vietnam).
Work Phase
- Eligible students can work on and off-campus and participate in co-op programs during their studies. Off-campus work is limited to 20 hours per week, although this limit is currently waived by public policy until April 30, 2024, at which time the 20 hour limit will return. Currently, international students who want to participate in co-op work programs are required to apply for a separate co-op work permit, which requires that the work component be no more than 50% of the overall program.
- International student graduates of public universities and colleges are eligible for an open work permit up to a maximum of three years, based on the duration of their program of study (i.e., Post-Graduation Work Permit).
- The Post-Graduation Work Permit Program is a component of the International Mobility Program, which enables employers to hire temporary foreign workers without a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
- Private Career Colleges are excluded, with the exception of those in Quebec.
- Accompanying spouses may be eligible for work permits.
Stay Phase
- All pathways to permanent residence (e.g., economic, family immigration programs) are available to international student graduates.
- Bonus points are awarded in Express Entry for Canadian study and work experience in permanent residency programs (e.g., Canadian Experience Class).
Recent Developments
- IRCC has undertaken a comprehensive review of the International Student Program to address challenges stemming from the rapid growth of the program, including: related to program integrity (i.e., unscrupulous actors), student vulnerability, pressure on housing (especially in urban centres), barriers to equitable access, and work authorizations. This has included consultations with PTs, and national associations representing the education sector.
- The increase in the number of international students has been a boon for the Canadian economy. However, there have been recent concerns around program integrity (i.e. unscrupulous actors), student vulnerabilities, and pressure on housing especially in urban centers due to increased volumes.
- Management of the international student program requires ongoing collaboration with PTs given their responsibility for education. PTs have expressed concerns regarding changes to the international student program that they see as federal overreach.
Caps on Applications
- On January 22, 2024, IRCC set an intake cap on most international student permit applications to stabilize new growth for a period of two years. To achieve this target, the national cap will be set on study permit applications at approximately 600K, resulting in about 360K study permits approved in 2024, a 35% reduction from 2023, at current approval rates.
- In the spirit of fairness, individual provincial and territorial caps have been established, weighted by population, which will result in much more significant decreases in provinces where the international student population has seen the most unsustainable growth.
- Provincial allocations have not yet been determined. It is expected that the Minister will be engaging his provincial and territorial counterparts in the week following the announcement to socialize some preliminary numbers (based on IRCC advice) and to hear how they plan to implement the attestation letter process.
- IRCC will be responsible for tracking provincial and territorial allocations; meanwhile, PTS will be responsible for distributing their allocation among their designated learning institutions.
- PTs are expected to establish a process for issuing attestation letters to students by no later than March 31, 2024.
- Exemption to the cap include: study permit renewals; graduate (i.e. master's and doctoral) students; and elementary and secondary students; and dependents of those who are coming here to work or study. Current study permit holders are also not be affected.
- These temporary measures will be in place for two years, and the number of new study permit applications that will be accepted in 2025 will be re-assessed at the end of this year.
- To date, PTs reaction has been mixed – details of allocations, calculations/assumptions and implementation have been the main areas of concern. Some PTs are favourable of the decision (such as British Columbia) while others such as Quebec and New Brunswick have expressed concern that caps will potentially be harmful. IRCC is regularly engaging with PTs at the Assistant Deputy Minister and Director-level.
- Similarly, national education associations are also keen to obtain more information on allocations, exemptions and impact of the cap on previously announced International Student Program reform measures (i.e. Recognized Institutions Framework [the RIF]). Further discussions with national associations and their members, are being scheduled for the coming weeks.
Post-Graduation Work
- Access to work opportunities after graduation through the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), and the potential for permanent residence based on that work experience, is one of the factors that appears to be driving increased demand. PGWP holders make up 26% of the International Mobility Program, i.e., the LMIA-exempt stream for temporary foreign workers. The PGWP increased by 214% in 2023 compared to 2018.
- On January 22, 2024, in addition to the implementation of a cap on study permits, IRCC launched two new measures, which are expected to reduce the volume of this cohort:
- Starting September 1, 2024, international students who begin a study program that is part of a curriculum licensing arrangement will no longer be eligible for a PGWP upon graduation. Under curriculum licensing agreements, students physically attend a private college that has been licensed to deliver the curriculum of an associated public college. These programs have seen significant growth in attracting international students in recent years, though they have less oversight than public colleges and they act as a loophole with regards to post-graduation work permit eligibility.
- In recognition that graduates of master’s degree programs are excellent candidates to succeed in Canada’s labour market and potentially transition to permanent residence, they will soon be eligible for a three-year PGWP even though the length of their study program may have been less than two years. To date, the length of a PGWP has generally been based on the length of the program from which the international student has graduated, up to a maximum of three years.
- Work is also underway to re-align the program to better meet targeted labour market needs and immigration objectives.
- The goal of re-aligning labour market needs is to facilitate access to work permits for students entering occupations in shortage, while reducing access for graduates from other programs. This could have a significant impact on the volume of international students and PGWP holders, if stringent tapering is applied to programs with lower labour market relevance. Advice on this issue will be provided to the Minister in spring 2024, with the goal of implementing changes in January 2025.
- Long-term solutions are required to enhance client service, better protect international students, and address capacity constraints, in view of maintaining Canada’s reputation as a destination of choice.
- As of December 30, 2023, 80% of study permit applications were processed within 58 days and study permit extensions were processed within 77 days. These processing timelines are below the service standard timelines of 60 days for study permits and 120 days for study permit extensions.
Spouses of International Students
- In the weeks ahead, open work permits will only be available to spouses of international students in master’s and doctoral programs. The spouses of international students in other levels of study, including undergraduate and college programs, will no longer be eligible.
Recognized Institutions Framework
- We are currently developing a Recognized Institutions Framework (the RIF). While the original plan was to implement the RIF for the fall 2024 academic semester, given that PTs and institutions will now be focussed on managing their cap, IRCC is recommending to delay the launch to 2025.
- The goal of the RIF is to incentivize DLIs to meet a higher standard in terms of international student recruitment, international student support (including housing), and post-graduate outcomes.
- Drawing on Government of Canada data (IRCC and Statistics Canada) as well as data from eligible DLI (collected via survey), the RIF will rank eligible DLIs according to indicators developed by IRCC in consultation with PTs and a sample of public DLIs. Eligible DLIs will then be ranked in tiers based on their results with higher tiers being provided faster processing. Those not eligible under the framework for the pilot year will be subject to regular processing standards.
- The current recommendation is that the first year of the Framework focus on publicly universities and colleges with more than 50 study permit approvals in each of the last three years. The program would then expand to private institutions in the second year.
Letter of Acceptance Verification
- In response to concerns about fraud in the international student program, as of December 1, 2023, post-secondary DLIs are now required to confirm every applicant’s letter of acceptance directly with IRCC. This new, enhanced verification process aims to protect prospective students from letter of acceptance fraud and to help them avoid similar problems that some students faced earlier this year as a result of fraud investigations. It will also ensure that study permits are issued based only on genuine letters of acceptance.
- As of January 11, 2024, the new verification system has identified 1,813 potentially fraudulent letters of acceptance out of 60,887 applications. An additional 1,197 letters of acceptance were flagged by DLIs as having been changed after they were issued, which while not necessarily indicating fraud or misuse, would require further review and action by the processing officer.
Equitable Access Pilot
- In response to recommendations raised in a 2022 Report from the Parliamentary Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM), IRCC is currently developing an Equitable Access pilot to alleviate barriers that prospective students face to accessing the International Students Program. This pilot would focus particularly on applicants from underrepresented regions that face high study permit refusal rates (e.g. Africa). Options are under development in view of a fall 2024 launch.
Francophone Immigration Student Pilot
- IRCC is currently developing a pilot to increase the number of French-speaking international students studying in Francophone Minority Communities (FMC). The objectives of this pilot include reducing barriers to the attraction of students destined to study in FMCs; increasing access to study permits; and improving integration in order to foster the retention of more French-speaking students as permanent residents after graduation in FMCs. Options are under development in view of a fall 2024 launch.
Other Work Pathways
- In addition to changes to work opportunities after graduation through the post-graduation work permit, we are also examining work authorization during studies. IRCC is currently examining whether to increase the 20 hour limit on off-campus work to 30 hours per week, which would require a Regulatory amendment. We are also examining whether and how to facilitate programs that integrate studies with work experience (e.g., co-op, internships, apprenticeships, etc.), including streamlining the co-op work permit.
Key Takeaways
- Attracting, selecting, and retaining top international students continues to be an important responsibility for IRCC. However, unparalleled growth in study permits and post-graduation work permits has led to concerns regarding program integrity, supports for students, and student vulnerability.
- The potential to work and remain permanently after graduation can benefit Canada by retaining talented, Canadian educated students. However, it is also a driver for high volumes and program integrity concerns, and leads to expectations amongst students that may not be met due to lack of alignment with permanent resident levels.
- Tapering intake, promoting quality education, and improving work pathways is necessary to improve student well-being, alleviate pressures on the community, and ensure the program focus on students who are well placed to succeed in Canada. At the same time, we will need to address barriers to access for students from under-represented regions, including French-speaking students seeking to study in FMCs.
Annex - Public Policies and other facilitation measures for International Students - 2020 to January 2024
Those highlighted in green are currently in place.
Off-campus work hours – in effect until April 30, 2024
Effective November 15, 2022 – April 30, 2024
This is an amendment to the Temporary public policy to lift the limitation that eligible study permit holders can work without a work permit no more than 20 hours per week off-campus during regular academic sessions that was announced on October 7, 2022, which allowed international students whose study permit application had been received by IRCC on or before that date to work more than 20 hours/week off campus if attending a DLI and in a course longer than six months leading to a degree, diploma or certificate.
The amended public policy signed on November 15, 2022 changed the expiry date from December 31, 2023 to April 30, 2024. It continues to be applicable to study permit holders whose application was received by IRCC on or before October 7, 2022.
Effective January 1, 2024 – April 30, 2024
This temporary public policy allows an additional cohort of study permit holders to work more than 20 hours/week off campus if attending a DLI and in a course longer than six months leading to a degree, diploma or certificate, scoping in study permit holders whose application was received by IRCC between October 8, 2022 and December 7, 2023.
In effect from March 18 to August 31, 2020
This public policy allowed international students to work more than 20 hours/week during an academic session if they were working in an essential service or function.
Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)
- Three successive public policies enabled PGWP holders whose permit had expired to apply for an additional open work permit of up to 18 months. The first was launched in 2021, and the last was in effect until December 31, 2023. These public policies were intended to address pandemic-related pressures and acute labour market needs.
- In December 2023, Minister Miller confirmed that this facilitative measure would not be extended again, marking a return to the pre-pandemic policy that a person may only get one PGWP in their lifetime.
- 2023 PGWP Public Policy
- In effect from April 6, 2023 – December 31, 2023
- Eligibility: Facilitated access to 18 months open work permit to those with expiring PGWP between September 20, 2021 and December 31, 2023.
- 2022 PGWP Public Policy
- In effect from April 13 – December 31, 2022
- Eligibility: Facilitated access to 18 month open work permit to those who had a PGWP expiring between September 20, 2021 and December 31, 2022.
- 2021 PGWP Public Policy (not posted online):
- In effect from January 27, 2021 – July 27, 2021
- Eligibility: Facilitated access to 18 month open work permit to foreign nationals who had a PGWP expiring between January 20, 2020, and November 27, 2021.
Distance learning facilitation measuresFootnote 1
For international students who started their program at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) on or before August 31, 2022.
- At the height of the pandemic, temporary measures were introduced to help mitigate the impact of travel and health restrictions on international students and Canada’s international education sector. These measures allowed international students to complete up to 100% of their studies at a DLI online from outside Canada without impacting their eligibility for, and the length of, their PGWP.
For international students who began or will begin their program of study at a Designated Learning Institution between September 1, 2022 and August 31, 2024.
- In August 2022, IRCC introduced reduced distance learning facilitation measures to continue to allow international students to complete some of their studies online from outside Canada without it adversely affecting their eligibility for a PGWP. While international students were again required to complete at least 50% of their program of study from within Canada (in class or online) to maintain eligibility for a PGWP, the reduced facilitation measures allowed them to count PGWP-eligible studies completed online from outside Canada towards the length of a future PGWP as long as they constitute less than 50% of the program of study.
For international students who start their program of study on or after September 1, 2024.
- As of September 1, 2024, we will resume pre-pandemic policies indicating, specifically, that an international student must complete at least 50% of their studies in person in a classroom in Canada, and that any semesters spent studying from abroad will be deducted from the length of a future post-graduation work permit.
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