A lot of changes have been introduced concerning international students hoping to come study in Canada. These changes have been made to ensure that every international student is provided with top of the line educational and cultural experiences in Canada. This article will serve to provide simple explanations about some of these changes and those that will be affected by them. You can also find references to in-depth looks into these changes.
1. Temporary Cap on international students accepted into the country:
An intake cap has been placed on accepted international student visa applications for the next 2 years. In effect only about 360,000 International Student Permits would be issued this year excluding renewals and extensions from within Canada. This limit is set to only affect international students seeking college or undergraduate level education within Canada. The available spots would be distributed to provinces and territories based on population and some other factors, they would in turn be responsible for allocating these slots to their Designated Learning Institutions. For more information visit:
2. New Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) requirement:
Beginning on Jan 22, 2024, student permits applications filed with Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have been required to include an attestation letter from the province or territory the applicant wishes to study in. The Federal Government has charged the provinces and territories with setting up procedures and systems for providing these letters to aspiring international students. For more information about the PAL and how to get them visit:
3. Increase in the cost of living requirements:
Starting this year, aspiring international students have been required to show access to $20,635 excluding travel expenses and first year tuition. The amount is set to increase with the number of accompanying family members and is set to change yearly based on the Statistics Canada benchmark for the cost of living. More detailed information on this issue can be found under the Reviewing documentation header in the following document:
CBC News also wrote an article regarding this issue and more which can be found through the link below:
Written by: Chigozie Madu (HOME | Galastron (mcmadu2001.wixsite.com)