Canada tightens study permit, restricts work opportunities for international students

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) shared this information during an online seminar last week, according to The Pie News.

This relates to IRCC's earlier announcement that, starting Nov. 1, only students in designated programs (more than 960 fields) will be eligible for a PGWP if they graduate from a college.

Students who hold a study permit before this date, regardless of their program, can still apply for a PGWP, issued by the IRCC that allows international students who have completed a program of study at a recognized post-secondary institution in Canada to work in the country after graduation.

However, if they switch to a program not included in the designated list and need to extend their study permit after Nov. 1 to complete their studies, they will no longer be eligible.

The Canadian government announced on its official website on Dec. 1 that students can find the expiry date under additional information on their study permit.

This date is usually the length of the study program, plus 90 days. The extra 90 days gives students time to prepare to leave Canada or to extend their stay in the country.

"If you want to keep studying in Canada, you’ll need to apply for a study permit extension. If your study permit expires and you haven’t applied for an extension, you must leave Canada," reads the announcement.

After the new requirements were announced in October and quickly implemented the following month, stakeholders felt relieved that current students were still covered by the old rules. However, those who need to extend their permits will no longer benefit from this exception.

"In my little college, that could be 23% of students. Changing your program of study should not have negative life altering consequences," Larissa Strong, director of international study at the College of the Rockies in British Columbia, told The Pie News.

"We have lost the students and education in this decision and are only considering the labor market and immigration outcomes," she said.

According to the Canadian Bureau for International Education, 70% of international students in Canada in 2023 plan to apply for a PGWP after completing their studies.

The new PGWP regulations come amid broader changes to Canada's student visa policies. In September, the government announced it would reduce the number of student visas issued by 10%, limiting the total to 437,000 by 2025.

This restriction applies to master's and doctoral students, with 12% of the quota reserved for these levels. From 2025 onwards, applicants will also need a provincial or territorial approval letter (PAL) as part of their study permit applications.

Other recent changes include stricter rules on accompanying family members, with work permits now only granted to spouses of master's students enrolled in programs lasting at least 16 months.

These changes are part of the Canadian government's ongoing efforts to "maintain the integrity of the immigration system," according to Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

Earlier this year, the financial requirement for study permits was increased from CAD10,000 (US$7,250) to CAD20,635, and schools were instructed to issue admission letters only if international students have secured housing.

Canada continues to attract growing numbers of international students. In 2023, there were 1,040,985 international students with active study permits, a 29% increase from the previous year, according to IRCC. This figure exceeded the government's target of 950,000 students for the year.

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