Canada student visas plummet as stricter rules take effect

By Minh Nga   February 3, 2025 | 03:05 pm PT
Canada student visas plummet as stricter rules take effect
A campus of McGill University, Canada. Photo courtesy of McGill University
The number of international students arriving in Canada in 2024 is estimated to fall by 45% compared to 2023, following the implementation of stricter immigration policies.

ApplyBoard, the world's largest online platform for international student recruitment, made this prediction late last month after analyzing data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

The IRCC minister set the 2024 international student cap with a 35% reduction from 2023 levels. After adjustments to ensure proportional distribution across provinces and territories, the final targets were set at 552,095 study permit applications and 291,914 study permit approvals for capped study levels.

However, ApplyBoard projects that IRCC is on track to approve only 280,000 study permits in 2024, a 45% drop from 2023. This would mark the lowest number of study permit approvals in a non-pandemic year since 2019, the year before Covid-19 outbreaks, according to the report.

Canada student visas plummet as stricter rules take effect

Through the first ten months of 2024, the overall study permit approval rate hovered just above 50%, reflecting a 10 percentage point decline compared to the same period in 2023. ApplyBoard expects this rate to drop even further once full-year data becomes available, following trends observed between 2021 and 2023.

As a result, the average study permit approval rate for 2024 is expected to fall below 50%, dropping around four percentage points below IRCC’s estimates.

Shifting demographics in student populations

Despite the overall decline, student populations from Senegal, Guinea, and Vietnam grew during the first 10 months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. ApplyBoard notes that this growth could make these countries key sources of diversity on Canadian campuses during the cap era.

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In contrast, declining student numbers were more widespread. Eight of the top 10 student populations from 2023 saw approval drops exceeding 20%, with five of these groups experiencing their new approvals cut by at least half year-over-year.

Students from India, Nigeria, and the Philippines, who collectively accounted for 54% of all study permit approvals through the first 10 months of 2023, represented only 44% of approvals during the same period in 2024.

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In 2023, Canada welcomed 1,040,985 international students, marking a 29% increase from the previous year, according to IRCC data. This figure exceeded the government's target of 950,000 students for the year.

India and China remained the largest contributors to Canada's international student population, with 427,085 and 101,150 students, respectively. The Philippines followed with 48,870 students, while Vietnam ranked eighth with 17,175 students.

Since late 2023, the government has issued a series of stricter policies on international students, aimed at controlling the impact of immigration flows to Canada.

For instance, the financial proof requirement was raised to over CA$20,600 (US$14,000), doubling the longstanding requirement of CA$10,000. Additionally, master's and PhD students must submit study endorsements from their province, territory, or region when applying for a study permit.

Applicants seeking a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) must now submit proof of English or French proficiency at level B2 or higher for university students and B1 or higher for college students.

Moreover, international students arriving in Canada after Nov. 1 must enroll in programs listed by IRCC to be eligible for a PGWP.

Recently, Canada unexpectedly terminated the SDS (Student Direct Stream) program, which offered expedited visa processing and waived financial proof requirements for students from 14 countries and territories, including Vietnam.

 
 
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