The Government Of Canada's Announced Changes To Study Permits: What Incoming International Students Should Expect

This article is a follow-up to our previous article Government of Canada Announces New Framework to Target Fraud within Canada's Foreign Student Program.

Announcement by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

On January 22^nd, 2024, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Marc Miller, announced drastic changes to Canada's International Student Program, notably by introducing a cap on the number of study permits that will be issued in 2024¹.

The cap is expected to result in approximately 360,000 approved study permits, a decrease of 35% from 2023. These significant changes, according to the Minister, come as a response to the growing presence of fraud and bad actors within the program and the need for the government to promote sustainability and to stabilize the number of international students in Canada².