Despite federal promises to significantly reduce the number of student visas issued in 2024, Canada is on pace to surpass last year’s total, potentially setting a new record.

In January, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced a “temporary two-year cap on new international student permits,” stating that approximately 364,000 study permits would be approved in 2024, marking about a 50% reduction from 2023.

However, government data reveals that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has already issued 216,620 international study permits this year (January to May), compared to 200,205 permits during the same period last year. This finding was first reported by the National Post.

The number of international study permits issued by the IRCC has increased every year since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took office, except for 2020. In 2015, 219,035 international study permits were issued. Last year, Canada issued 682,430 study permits to foreign nationals—a record high.

Miller stated in January that the rationale behind the promised reduction was to address the “unsustainable growth” of international student populations in certain provinces. He indicated that the cap would be reassessed after two years. 

Miller also said the cap aims to curb the exploitation of international students by some small private colleges. It’s long been the worst-kept secret among community colleges, which charge international students three times the tuition fees of domestic students, that their business administration programs are often just gateways to Canadian citizenship.