Canada launched seven main adjustments to its worldwide pupil route in 2024 which aligns with the federal government’s intention of scaling again the variety of short-term residents.
The key adjustments embody updates, closures, caps and new guidelines. For instance, there have been updates on the eligibility standards for post-graduation work permits (PGWPs), price of dwelling requirement, and rules for open work permits for spouses of scholars. As well as, there have been caps on examine allow purposes, in addition to stricter guidelines for examine permits and off-campus work hours for worldwide college students.
Moreover, the scholar direct stream and the Nigeria pupil specific route had been closed in 2024. Marc Miller, Canada’s Immigration Minister had this to say concerning the changes to its short-term resident pathway:
“To be clear, all newcomers are valued in Canada. They contribute to Canada’s financial, social and cultural material. Our financial future relies on these we deliver to Canada”.
“However we additionally want to acknowledge that this may impression communities, such because the will increase in unemployment amongst youth and newcomers… for the primary time in Canadian historical past, we are going to embody targets for short-term residents along with everlasting residents in our annual immigration ranges planning”.
“First, we are going to scale back the goal on examine permits issued by 10 p.c in 2025 and 2026 in comparison with 2024. This implies we intention to subject as much as 437,000 examine permits in each 2025 and 2026, which might symbolize a couple of 36 p.c lower from 2023”.
Listed here are a few of these adjustments intimately:
Curriculum licensing agreements: Beginning in September, worldwide college students in applications beneath a curriculum licensing settlement had been now not eligible for PGWPs. The deadline for this transformation was later moved as much as Could 15.
Three-year PGWPs for grasp’s diploma college students: Graduates of Grasp’s diploma applications turned eligible for three-year work permits from February 15. This advantages college students with shorter applications, giving them extra time for work expertise and potential everlasting residency.
Language necessities for PGWP candidates: From November 1, PGWP candidates needed to meet particular Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) scores—7 for college graduates and 5 for school graduates.
Area of examine necessities for PGWP eligibility: From September 18, solely college students graduating from fields linked to long-term occupational shortages had been eligible for PGWPs. This doesn’t apply to Bachelor’s, Grasp’s, or Doctoral graduates from universities.
The fields of examine linked to fields with long-term shortages are Agriculture and Agri-food, Healthcare, Science, Know-how, Engineering, and Arithmetic (STEM), Commerce and Transport. Worldwide college students who utilized for examine permits earlier than November 1, 2024, are exempt from the sector of examine necessities for PGWP eligibility. Nonetheless, in the event that they apply for a brand new examine allow after this date, equivalent to when altering faculties or applications, the sector of examine requirement will then apply.
Up to date price of dwelling requirement
As of January 1, 2024, IRCC elevated the cost-of-living requirement for examine allow candidates. The brand new requirement for a single applicant doubled from $10,000 to $20,635. Candidates should have these funds along with masking their first-year tuition and journey prices. This new requirement applies to all examine allow purposes obtained on or after January 1, 2024.
Closure of the Scholar Direct Stream and Nigeria Scholar Specific
On November 8, IRCC introduced the rapid closure of the Scholar Direct Stream (SDS). Launched in 2018, SDS aimed to expedite examine allow purposes for college students from 14 international locations, together with India, China, Pakistan, and the Philippines, with a regular processing time of 20 calendar days. Nonetheless, typical processing instances range by nation, typically taking for much longer. For instance, the present processing time for a examine allow from Pakistan is 10 weeks.
Concurrently, IRCC additionally terminated the Nigeria Scholar Specific (NSE) program, which supplied the same expedited service for Nigerian candidates.
Cap on examine allow purposes
On January 22, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) introduced a brand new consumption cap for worldwide pupil examine allow purposes. This cover is predicted to end in roughly 360,000 accredited new examine permits for 2024, representing a 35 per cent lower from the earlier 12 months.
In April, Marc Miller, Canada’s Immigration Minister, clarified that the goal for accredited examine permits in 2024 is 485,000. The determine of 360,000 accounts for the anticipated 97,000 extension purposes and features a buffer for different variations.
On September 18, IRCC introduced an additional discount within the variety of examine permits for 2025, based mostly on a ten per cent lower from the 2024 goal of 485,000. Due to this fact, 437,000 examine permits might be issued in 2025.
The Immigration Ranges Plan for 2025-27, launched in October, outlined targets for short-term residents, together with worldwide college students, arriving in 2025, 2026, and 2027. The goal for brand new worldwide pupil arrivals in 2025 is ready at 305,900. This is applicable solely to new arrivals and doesn’t embody examine allow renewals or extensions for college students already in Canada.
Stricter guidelines for examine permits
To handle the brand new consumption cap for worldwide pupil examine permits, IRCC launched Provincial Attestation Letters (PALs) on January 22, 2024. These letters, issued by provinces and territories, confirm that a world pupil has a reputable admission and falls throughout the new cap limits.
As of January 22, 2024, all examine allow purposes require an attestation letter. Nonetheless, in March, IRCC introduced exemptions for particular pupil classes. PALs are crucial for many post-secondary candidates, non-degree granting graduate applications, and any worldwide pupil not on the exemption record.
Exemptions embody major and secondary college college students, Grasp’s or doctoral college students, in-Canada visiting or trade college students at a Designated Studying Establishment (DLI), present examine and work allow holders, and relations of allow holders. Moreover, college students already accredited for a examine allow or whose purposes had been obtained earlier than January 22, 2024, at 8:30 am EST are exempt.
On September 18, IRCC additionally mandated that Grasp’s and PhD college students should receive PALs.
New necessities for worldwide college students altering faculties
On April 29, the short-term pandemic measures permitting worldwide college students to work over 20 hours per week ended. The pre-pandemic restrict of 20 hours per week off-campus throughout tutorial phrases was reinstated however elevated to 24 hours per week from November 15.
As of November 15, worldwide college students wishing to vary faculties wanted to use for a brand new examine allow. Beforehand, college students might change faculties on the identical allow by updating their standing on-line.
As of December 13, worldwide college students transferring faculties for winter or spring 2025 might begin learning earlier than receiving a brand new examine allow, supplied they utilized for it. It was re-iterated that faculty and college vocational college students change applications and apply for a brand new examine allow after November 1 should meet subject of examine necessities.
Up to date rules for open work permits for spouses
On January 22, IRCC launched new restrictions on spousal open work permits for worldwide college students.
These permits at the moment are restricted to spouses of scholars enrolled in Grasp’s and Doctoral applications. Beforehand, spouses of scholars in faculty and undergraduate applications had been eligible.
As of March 19, a brand new coverage was carried out, with IRCC additionally asserting exceptions for particular undergraduate applications. Spouses or companions of scholars in skilled diploma applications within the medical, and engineering fields and training levels at a college stay eligible for spousal open work permits. These fields and applications are:
– Physician of Dental Surgical procedure (DDS, DMD)
– Bachelor of Regulation or Juris Physician (LLB, JD, BCL)
– Physician of Medication (MD)
– Physician of Optometry (OD)
– Pharmacy (PharmD, BS, BSc, BPharm)
– Physician of Veterinary Medication (DVM)
– Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN, BSN, BNSc)
– Bachelor of Training (B. Ed.)
– Bachelor of Engineering (B. Eng., BE, BASc)
In September, Additional restrictions had been introduced, limiting open work allow eligibility to spouses of Grasp’s diploma college students enrolled in applications lasting at the least 16 months. This coverage has not but come into impact.
