Is Canada still an attractive education destination for foreign students?
Visa caps, broken residency promises, and a strained education system lead many to question the realities of post-secondary education in Canada.
Over the past few months, Canada’s International student system has received much criticism because of the government’s international student visa cap and unfulfilled permanent residency promises, generating concerns and protests where people — namely international students — have criticized Canadian authorities for enabling economic issues, housing deficits, and inadequate employment opportunities for international students.
The recent spike in public rage is in response to Canada restricting the number of issued permits and international students allowed to enter the country. In 2024, the Government of Canada declared that it would cut the number of study permits by a third and allow no more than 360,000 newcomers. This decision was attributed to the pressure that international students have exerted on housing and other related social amenities, especially depending on hired cities’ rental demand. Still, the international students explain that they have been crucified for what they regard as systemic problems in the country. International students who were initially ushered in by Canada’s liberal immigration policies have been cut off from the promise of high-quality education, decent living standards, and a permanent future in Canada. Many chose to respond by taking their concerns, utter disappointment, and feelings of betrayal to the streets in protests throughout the GTA.
The student demonstrators complain that the government is using immigrants and students as a scapegoat for Canada’s inability to sustain its growing population. The carrots of permanent residency that used to attract thousands of students to Canada seem distant as the government continues to overcomplicate post-graduate work permits and immigration options. But how did this crisis start?
The first cause of this crisis is the recent growth of the international education industry in Canada over the past decade. Another factor has been that institutions have pursued foreign students as a source of income on their own. Overseas students pay far more for tuition and many institutions depend on these revenues to fund the establishment. Therefore, this recent cap has caused panic in the education sector. For instance, Colleges Ontario President Marketa Evans told CityNews that Ontario colleges could lose about $1.7 billion of their income because of reduced international students which can result in programme cuts or cancellations.
This underscores a major flaw in the system: Canadian post-secondary institutions depend heavily on international students, making them vulnerable to policy shifts. Meanwhile, the Canadian government seems overburdened even while denying any imbalance between immigration and infrastructure development. Such fears have been echoed by Immigration Minister Marc Miller, who has called for Canada to become more protective of its citizens, given the pressure it is placing on housing in the country and other social services.
On one hand, international students bring in huge incomes. On the other hand, the government claims that free expansion will only make things worse. But this stance does not explain the deeper structural problems within housing and labour markets. From the students’ standpoint, this situation has developed a certain type of disorientation. People arrived in Canada intending to have a future here but many of them ended up with no or very little support. Social isolation and exploitation add to their problems. Besides, the recent changes in policy decisions on the issuance of work permits for students’ spouses has made the issues worse since the students have to struggle to secure decent jobs and stable shelters.
These policies imply that international students are no longer welcomed, leaving the question as to whether Canada will remain an attractive destination for talent acquisition. In my opinion, this crisis can be regarded as the outcome of educational management’s misperception. Although the local and international parties enjoyed the growth of international students in the past, they did not see the negative effects of population growth and poor infrastructural development.
In the past, while successfully marketing itself to become an education hub, Canada’s government has recently started backing away from its promises surrounding immigration, and several institutions in the education sector are suffering from financial insecurity alongside these groups of learners who feel cheated. This problem cannot be solved by limiting student visas even more, but by solving the housing problems and economic crisis.
Canada must develop a supply of affordable housing, increase the quality of employment opportunities, and provide adequate support to domestic and international students who come to the country to study and build a life. Otherwise, Canada may lose the image of a hospitable country for international students who historically have contributed to the development of the nation’s social, cultural, and economic life.
Staff Writer (Volume 50) — Vanessa is a fourth-year student double majoring in Psychology and English with a minor in Education. When she’s not working or studying, she enjoys picking up a good novel and escaping into the world of reading or playing some of her favourite songs on her record player. She also loves writing. You can often find her journaling throughout her day.