The Canadian government announced a further cut in the number of study permits for international students, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying the nation will crack down on “bad actors” if they “abuse the immigration system and take advantage of students”.
In its announcement on Wednesday, the government also said that it would also tighten rules for foreign worker rules in an effort to reduce the number of temporary residents in Canada.
In a tweet, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government would grant 35 per cent fewer international student permits this year, and the number would be reduced by an additional 10 per cent in 2025.
“Immigration is an advantage for our economy — but when bad actors abuse the system and take advantage of students, we crack down,” he added.
As per the government, Canada plans to issue 437,000 study permits in 2025, which is down 10 per cent from the 485,000 permits issued in 2024. This number will remain the same in 2026.
In 2023, the nation approved 509,390, and 175,920 in the first seven months of 2024.
Addressing the media, Foreign Minister Marc Miller said that “coming to Canada was a privilege, not a right”.
“The reality is that not everyone who wants to come to Canada will be able to, just like not everyone who wants to stay in Canada will be able to,” he added.
Regarding work permits for foreign workers, the Foreign Minister said, “We are taking action to strengthen our temporary residence programs and roll out a more comprehensive immigration plan to meet the demands of today’s changing landscape.”
The government also plans to implement additional restrictions on work permits for spouses of some international students and foreign workers, as well as heighten checks before issuing travel visas in a bid to curb an increase in fraudulent or rejected asylum claims.
The nation had already announced earlier that it would reduce the number of temporary residents to 5 percent of the population, down from 6.8 per cent in April.
