Canadian province bars international students from studying medicine

Under this new policy, medical schools in Ontario must reserve at least 95% of their admissions for local residents, with the remaining slots allocated to students from other Canadian regions.

The Ontario government will cover tuition fees for over 1,000 students who commit to becoming family doctors within the province, Premier Doug Ford announced during a recent press briefing.

"I’ve just been all over our colleges and universities and found that 18% of students from around the world are taking our kids’ seats and not staying here but returning to their country," Ford was quoted as saying by The Pie News.

According to provincial data, international students accounted for only 10 out of 2,833 medical students in Ontario for the 2023/24 academic year, representing 0.26% of the total.

Health Minister Sylvia Jones, who attended the event, stated that the change would have a "minimal impact" on overall enrollment, as approximately 88% of medical school seats in Ontario are already filled by provincial residents. She clarified that the new policy is not an outright ban, and medical schools would still be allowed to admit international students in rare cases where seats remain unfilled, CBC reported.

Earlier this month, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced updated eligibility guidelines for college programs qualifying for post-graduate work permits, effective immediately. Under these new regulations, international students applying for a study permit must choose programs in fields facing labor shortages to qualify for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), reducing their previous flexibility in program selection.

For college graduates and students in non-degree programs, eligibility are limited to five key areas: agriculture and agri-food, healthcare, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), skilled trades, and transportation.

Ford's announcement has reignited concerns over how prospective international students perceive Canada as a destination, underscoring the need for efforts to bolster and restore Canada's educational reputation.

Gautham Kolluri, founder of the CIP study abroad agency, criticized Ford's statement as "totally absurd."

"There are hardly any international students getting into Ontario medical schools. Admission is very competitive, and priority is given to domestic students," Kolluri said. "I hear that less than 1% get accepted, and I haven't met or seen any international students being admitted to an Ontario medical school," he told The Pie News.

Canada attracted 1,040,985 international students with active study permits last year, a 29% increase from the previous year and surpassing the government's target of 950,000 students.

India and China remain the leading 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.