Hon. Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship declared:
– Two-year intake cap on international student permits to stabilize growth. The 2024 cap will permit around 360,000 students, a 35% cut from 2023. Provinces with the highest growth will see larger reductions, based on a population-weighted model. Study permit renewals, master’s and doctoral students, as well as K-12 students, are exempt. Current permit holders remain unaffected.
– IRCC will allocate caps to provinces and territories for distribution to designated institutions. Starting January 22, 2024, study permit applications must include an attestation letter from a province or territory, which should be ready by March 31, 2024.
– From Sep 1, 2024, international students starting programs under curriculum licensing won’t qualify for postgraduate work permits. Such programs, offered by private colleges using a public college’s curriculum, lack the oversight of public institutions and have been a loophole for work permit eligibility.
– Master’s graduates will soon qualify for a 3-year work permit, regardless of their program’s duration. This update aims to extend work experience opportunities and ease the transition to permanent residence.
– Open work permits will soon be limited to spouses of international students in master’s and doctoral programs, excluding those in undergraduate and college levels.
