September 19, (THEWILL) – The Canadian government has announced a 10 percent reduction in the number of study permits for international students from 2025.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who disclosed this in a post on X late Wednesday night, said the restriction became necessary to protect the country.
Trudeau said, “We’re granting 35 per cent fewer international student permits this year. And next year, that number’s going down by another 10 per cent. Immigration is an advantage for our economy – but when bad actors abuse the system and take advantage of students, we crack down.”
The move comes as the Canadian government is looking to reduce the number of temporary residents. Earlier, the government announced a two-year cap on study permits to limit its international students’ intake and approve 364,000 undergraduate study permits in 2024, a reduction of 35 percent from 2023.
In August, the North American country recalibrated its labour market by announcing a slash on foreign workers and investments in its workforce.
Speaking on Wednesday, in Ottawa, Immigration Minister, Marc Miller, laid out further cuts to foreign student intakes, confirming that next year’s numbers would drop again after an already reduced issuance in 2024.
“The intake cap of international students for 2025 will decrease by 10% compared to 2024, remaining steady through 2026. This is a reduction of 36% from the 2023 levels,” said Miller.
Canada’s population growth has been swift, adding about three million people in the past three years. This surge has contributed to rising housing costs and strain on public services, leading to growing dissatisfaction with Trudeau’s handling of immigration policies.
In March, Miller revealed plans to reduce the share of temporary residents, including foreign students and temporary workers, to 5% of the total population over the next three years. At the time, the population of temporary residents stood at 6.2%, and despite efforts, it has since risen to 6.8%.
Critics have pointed to the rapid growth in this group, with some blaming it for exacerbating societal issues like housing affordability and rising costs of living.
