Canada has announced a cap on study permits for international students in 2024, with significant implications for Indian students, who make up a substantial portion of the international student body in Canada.
Managing International student influx
According to India Today reports, Immigration Minister Marc Miller disclosed details of the national cap, emphasising the need to manage the rapid increase in international students. "On January 22, I announced a national cap on study permit applications to address the rapid increase of international students in Canada," Miller stated, underlining the importance of the decision.
The plan, termed the Net Zero First Year Growth Model, aims to maintain a steady number of international students. Canada's goal is to welcome 485,000 new international students in 2024, based on the anticipated number of expiring study permits.
Allocation and adjustment
Adjustments were made considering various factors, including the annual 20% of students seeking extensions, resulting in a revised target of 364,000 approved study permits. This translates into a cap of 606,000 study permit applications for 2024. However, certain groups of international students, such as those in primary and secondary schools or pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees, are exempt from this cap.
Based on data from 2023, adjustments were made, deducting an estimated volume of 140,000 from the target number of approved study permits, resulting in a target of 236,000 approved study permits for 2024.
The adjusted number of study permit applications, 393,000, was then distributed among provinces and territories based on population share. Provinces experiencing growth exceeding 10% compared to 2023 had their allocation adjusted to limit growth, while those experiencing declines were supported to mitigate negative impacts.
In addition, allocations were increased for provinces with approval rates lower than 60%, ensuring they reach their expected number of approved study permits in 2024.
In total, approximately 552,000 study permit applications have been allocated to provinces and territories under the national cap. These allocations are expected to yield around 292,000 approved study permits, representing a 28% reduction from 2023 for the groups included under the cap, according to the IRCC.
