Bad news has come for Indian students dreaming of studying in Canada. Canada's Trudeau government has decided to cut student visa permits by 35 percent. Immigration Minister Mark Miller made the announcement on Monday.
Immigration Minister Mark Miller said Canada will reduce permits for foreign students by 35 percent. This cap will reduce the number of permits to 3,64,000 in 2024. The 2025 limit will be reviewed again later this year.
Miller said that this will affect those institutions which are charging higher fees from students coming from abroad and are continuously increasing the number of foreign students. In this, students applying for Masters and PhD will be exempted from the limit.
There will be a huge shortage of international students in some states
"Those are talented people we need to retain," Miller said. They will allocate cap space to states based on population, meaning some states will see a significant reduction in the number of international students allowed.
Canada is struggling with housing shortage
The Government of Canada has faced a shortage of guest houses in many Canadian cities due to the increasing number of foreign students. Canada is currently facing a severe housing shortage. More than 800,000 international students were issued temporary study visas in 2022. Miller last said the 2023 number was going to be more than three times what was acknowledged 10 years ago.
Miller alleged that institutions are being encouraged to charge higher tuition for international students because they have less leeway to raise tuition for domestic students. The idea of placing a limit on the number of international students has been floating around for months.
The aim is not to punish international students
Miller stressed that the goal is not to punish international students, who are a valuable asset to this country. It is unacceptable that some private institutions take advantage of international students by raising tuition prices.