Canada has decided to reduce the number of international students for the second year in a row. The initiative to reduce the number of admissions in 2025 is also being taken, which is aimed at reducing the pressure on housing, health care and other services.
A statement from the Ministry of Immigration said that this year, 437,000 students will be issued study permits, which is 10 percent less than in 2024.
Canada has been capped at a certain number of study permits since 2024 due to population growth and a housing crisis.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has come under criticism for his promise to reduce immigration. In light of this, he announced his resignation next March.
According to government data, Canada issued more than 650,000 study permits in 2023, which is three times more than a decade ago. This rapid population growth has put pressure on services such as health care and education and has increased housing costs.
International students in Canada pay significantly higher tuition fees than domestic students.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has already set the number of international students for provincial and territorial governments.
As of December 2023, there were more than one million international students in Canada. In 2022, Canada admitted 505,000 new students from 184 countries. India was Canada’s top source country, enrolling 202,000 students. China came in second with 52,000 students.
In January 2023, Canada set a cap on the number of international students it could accept to help control the growing number of temporary residents.
“The reality is that not everyone who wants to come to Canada can do it,” Canadian Immigration Minister Mark Miller had previously said. “It’s an opportunity, not a right.”
