Canada’s Immigration Minister Marc Miller has announced a two-year freeze on international student admissions, aiming to reform a system he claims is exploiting high tuition fees and delivering substandard education in some cases. This significant policy shift will result in a 35% reduction in new study visas this year, with provinces like Ontario experiencing a steeper cut of over 50%.
The cap, according to Miller, is designed to allow both federal and provincial governments time to address issues within the current framework. Part of the reform includes barring students at institutions operating under a private-public model from obtaining postgraduate work permits, effective September 1.
Additionally, the government is tightening work permit regulations. Starting soon, only spouses of students in higher-level academic programs, including masters and doctoral studies, as well as professional fields like medicine and law, will be eligible for open work permits.
Miller expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of provincial governments in tackling these issues and emphasized the federal government’s commitment to work collaboratively with them for a resolution.
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