6 New Policy Updates For Students Looking To Study In Canada

It’s mid-2024, and you’re considering pursuing a postgraduate degree at an international university. You understand that studying abroad can enhance your job prospects and earning potential and open doors to exciting opportunities. You’re also looking forward to life after your study program. Your major concern is choosing a study destination that will allow you to build a long-term future for yourself and access a better quality of life.

Because you want to start this journey, you’ve researched and narrowed your choices. You have decided to apply to study in Canada. It has a number of top-ranked institutions, a great quality of life, affordable schools, and a favourable pathway to permanent residency. However, you don’t know that early this year, Canada implemented some new policies for international students moving to study in Canada. In this article, we will be highlighting these recent policies and how they will affect international students.

Recent Policy Updates for Students Planning to Study In Canada

Over the years, there has been a massive rise in international students applying to study in Canada. This is no surprise because the country offers many benefits. Recently, the Canadian government realised the need to control the influx of international students and their dependents, as the key social infrastructures needed to accommodate them are proving to be insufficient. Certain policies were then implemented for this purpose and also to preserve the quality of education offered by the higher institutions in Canada.

Here are 6 recent updates you should know while starting your study abroad journey to Canada:

1. Temporary cap on international students’ intake:

This year, the IRCC announced that effective January 22, 2024, there will be a cap on approved study permit applications to Canada for the next two years. This means only about 360,000 new study permits will be approved for 2024, marking a 35% decrease from the previous year’s numbers. It was also announced that the cap for 2025 will be decided by the end of 2024. This cap will apply to all provinces and territories in Canada to reduce the number of international students in undergraduate, diploma and certificate programs.

This policy has made it harder to get admission into DLIs, especially in provinces like Ontario and British Columbia. The temporary cap policy also requires study permit applications to be submitted with an attestation letter from the province or territory. This update does not apply to Master’s and PhD students or students in Canada looking to renew their study permits.

2. Change in off-campus work hours:

In November 2022, the Canadian government temporarily increased the off-campus work hours for international students from 20 to 40 hours per week. This increase in work hours came to an end on April 30, 2024, and the IRCC announced that it would not be extended. International students who study in Canada will now be allowed to work for only a maximum of 24 hours per week off-campus. This will allow them to focus on their studies while working part-time. This rule only applies when school is in session. International students can work unlimited hours during the academic break.

3. PGWP update for Master’s programs:

Effective February 15, 2024, graduates from Master’s programs under two years can apply for a three-year Postgraduate Work Permit (PGWP). This extended PGWP will give these graduates an opportunity to settle into Canada’s labour market, get the required job experience, and possibly transition to permanent residency.

However, the PGWP duration for graduates of other program types will continue to align with the length of their study program. This means if you study in Canada for a program that lasts about 12 months, your PGWP can be a year long.

4. Change to spousal open work permit eligibility.

The IRCC also announced that spousal open work permits will no longer be available for spouses of international students enrolled in undergraduate, diploma, and certificate programs. This means that only spouses of international students who study in Canada for Master’s, doctoral programs and specific professional degree-granting programs will be eligible for open work permits.

5. PGWP eligibility for public-private partnership college programs

As of May 15, 2024, international students studying in a public-private partnership institution in Canada will no longer be eligible for a PGWP after graduation. In these partnerships, a public college can license its curriculum to be delivered by an affiliated private college. Students enrolled in these study programs attend private colleges but graduate with a diploma from public colleges.

Over the years, it has been discovered that these institutions do not deliver the standard quality of education or offer the required student services. In an attempt to correct these loopholes, the IRCC has imposed a restriction on PGWPs for these institutions to reduce the number of international students applying to study in Canada for these programs.

However, international students already enrolled in these programs will still be eligible for a PGWP if they meet the other eligibility criteria.

6. Update on the cost of living requirement

If you’re looking to study in Canada as an international student, you should know that the previous cost of living requirement of 10,000 CAD has now been increased to 20,635 CAD. This revision took effect from January 1, 2024 to ensure students moving to study in Canada have enough funds to cover their basic housing and living expenses without getting distracted from their studies.

However, students moving to Quebec must only meet the cost of living requirement of 15,078 CAD (7,541 CAD for students under 18 years). This requirement does not include the tuition fee and is not required to be paid to any institution. It is the minimum sum to demonstrate a student’s financial capability to pay for basic necessities while they study in Canada.