The federal Liberals have announced a substantial reduction in the number of student visas Canada will issue over the next two years. 

Immigration Minister Marc Miller revealed on Monday that the feds are setting a cap on undergraduate study permits. Miller said they will approve around 360,000 student visas in 2024, which marks a 35% decrease from the 2023 figures.

The announcement comes as the Liberal cabinet members are gathering in Montreal for their second retreat in the past five months, as the party faces dire polling numbers compared to the Opposition Conservatives.  

Miller said the rationale behind the move is to address the “unsustainable growth” of international student populations in certain provinces. He said some regions will see a 50% cut in the issuance of these permits. 

After two years, the cap will be reassessed.

Miller further pointed out that the cap aims to curb the exploitation of international students taking place by some small private colleges. It’s long been the worst kept secret among community colleges that charge international students three times the tuition fees than they charge domestic students that their business administration programs were really just gateways to Canadian citizenship.

On Monday, former Immigration Minister Sean Fraser, who was shuffled out of the position last summer into the Housing Minister role, was asked by a reporter why he did not implement a similar cap. 

Fraser laughed in response, saying he was aware of the problem and had considered a cap but hoped provinces would deal with it instead.

Housing crisis linked with immigration

The Bank of Canada (BoC) Deputy Governor recently linked Canada’s housing crisis with the Trudeau Government’s immigration policy.The admission comes as the Trudeau Liberals continue to pack in record-breaking immigrants on a yearly basis with no plans of slowing down.