Canada Sees 48% Plunge in Study Visas as Enrolment Cap Bites
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Canada has witnessed a dramatic 48% drop in the number of new study permits issued in 2024, marking a significant downturn for one of the world’s top study destinations. According to new data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), only 267,890 new study visas were granted, around 100,000 fewer than the original 2024 target.
This sharp decline comes after Canada introduced a two-year cap on new international student permits to better manage temporary resident numbers. The cap, which was expected to reduce new study permits by 35%, ended up overshooting that target significantly.
The fallout has been severe. Canadian universities and colleges are reporting enrolment drops between 30–50%, with over 8,500 job losses already recorded, 60% in Ontario’s public colleges alone. The impact is also being felt in cap-exempt programmes, such as master’s and PhD studies.
The visa approval rate has also plunged, from 59.8% in 2023 to just 48% in 2024, meaning more than half of all applicants are being turned away. At the same time, the number of new study permit applications processed fell by 32%, as prospective students reconsidered Canada due to tighter post-study work rules, financial requirements, and uncertainty around approvals.
Canada’s government appears to be sticking to its plan. Immigration Minister Marc Miller has extended the cap into 2026, with further reductions of 10% below 2024 levels. The IRCC also unveiled a broader strategy aiming to reduce temporary residents to 5% of the population by 2027, down from over 7% in 2024.
Though these measures are part of a longer-term immigration management strategy, the immediate effects on Canada’s international education sector are profound and ongoing. With reduced opportunities and increasing global competition, students may now look beyond Canada for their higher education ambitions.
Source: FINANCIAL EXPRESS
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