Study permit approvals for 2024 estimated to be 47% lower than 2023, according to ApplyBoard.
Last year, 436,000 new study permits were approved, but current trends predict that just over 231,000 new study permits will be approved in 2024.
Policy changes, such as the increased proof of finances requirement and study permit cap, are thought to be the cause behind the drop. It was announced earlier this year that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) would cap the number of study permit applications at 606,000 for 2024, with an approval target of 485,000.
Canada has also removed work rights for partners of undergraduate students, and have eliminated post-study work eligibility for students enrolled in private-public partnership college programmes.
President of Universities Canada, Gabriel Miller, told the Globe & Mail that higher education institutions could see a 45% decline in international enrolments:
‘This is a hit, a national hit to university budgets that we haven’t seen in modern memory […] The most important piece of feedback we’ve heard is just real uncertainty and confusion about what kind of opportunities there are going to be to come and study in Canada, and what the rules would be.’
Larissa Bezo, president of the Canadian Bureau for International Education, said:
‘The perception of us having closed the doors to international students has resulted in very significant damage to our sector. What we have to appreciate is the recovery time. When you have that kind of reputational damage, given enrolment cycles, etc, you’re looking at a five to seven-year time horizon.’
