{"id":263566,"date":"2025-11-05T15:19:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T15:19:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/263566\/"},"modified":"2025-11-05T15:19:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T15:19:09","slug":"canada-proposes-further-65-study-permit-cap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/263566\/","title":{"rendered":"Canada proposes further 65% study permit cap"},"content":{"rendered":"

The proposals would reduce the international student cap from 437,000<\/a> in 2025 to 155,000 in 2026, and 150,000 for the two following years. Elsewhere, the budget allocates CA$1.7bn to attracting international researchers.<\/p>\n

Delivering the budget<\/a>, finance minister Fran\u00e7ois-Philippe Champagne said the government was \u201ctaking back control of our immigration system and putting Canada on a trajectory to bring immigration back to sustainable levels\u201d.<\/p>\n

The measures build on previous international student caps, cutting study permits by 35% in 2024, and a further 10% this year. However, 60% fewer<\/a> international students arrived in Canada during the first half of 2025, with experts expecting the annual total to fall drastically short of federal targets.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Given this context, stakeholders have suggested the proposed 65% cap represents an adjustment to the current reality, though the message sent to prospective international students remains significant. \u00a0<\/p>\n

According to Higher Education Strategy Associates presidents Alex Usher: \u201cThese \u2018cuts\u2019 to new visas issued aren\u2019t really cuts but rather targets catching up to reality\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe damage to institutional finances\u2026 aren\u2019t going to happen next year \u2013 they\u2019ve already happened,\u201d he wrote on social media. \u00a0<\/p>\n

The tightening of study permit caps is part of the government\u2019s goal of reducing overall temporary resident admissions from roughly 670,000 in 2025 to 370,000 over the next three years \u2013 a near 45% decrease. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Source: government of Canada<\/p>\n

Temporary migration to Canada peaked at 7.5% of the total population in 2024, more than double what it was in 2018. The government has said such \u201cunprecedented growth\u201d was putting pressure on housing supply, healthcare and schools. \u00a0<\/p>\n

After the budget was unveiled, Conservative MP Chris d\u2019Entremont crossed the floor to join the Liberals, meaning the minority Liberals now only need two opposition party votes to pass their financial plan which will be debated in the coming days. \u00a0<\/p>\n

In addition to its immigration targets, the budget allocates CA$1.7bn over 13 years for a new International Talent Attraction Strategy and Action Plan to support the recruitment of over 1,000 international researchers, doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis budget invests in people who will help build Canada\u2019s future,\u201d said Universities Canada<\/a> president Gabriel Miller: \u201cWith strong, sustained partnership, universities are ready to turn these commitments into the skilled workforce our country needs to grow and thrive.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The budget also sets out plans for an \u201caccelerated pathway for H1-B visa holders\u201d to boost Canadian innovation and attract top talent in healthcare, research and advanced industries specifically from the US, to be launched in the coming months. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Sector stakeholders have welcomed the investment in attracting global talent, though some say that these goals seem at odds with the slashing of study permit allocations. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a strong economic rationale for sustained international education efforts,\u201d Chris Busch, University of Windsor assistant vice president of enrolment, told The PIE.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe budget highlights a need for engineers, scientists, tradespeople, and healthcare professionals,\u201d said Busch, emphasising the need for \u201cserious investment in labs, placements and support structures for both domestic and international students\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The [immigration] plan must match this government\u2019s talent and economic agenda<\/p>\n

Universities Canada<\/p>\n

Universities Canada, the country\u2019s representative body for higher education, said while it recognised efforts to build a sustainable immigration system, \u201cthe plan must match this government\u2019s talent and economic agenda\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With the full details of the Immigration Levels Plan 2026-28 yet to be announced, it vowed to continue advocating \u201cfor practical solutions that promote predictability, coordination and support for responsible institutions\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, institutions have welcomed increased investment in AI and recruiting international researchers, though they have criticised cuts to core research funding amounting to CA$83m in annual cuts to three federal research granting councils. \u00a0<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, the budget allocates CA$97m over five years to improve foreign credential recognition to ensure immigration can help to address labour shortages. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOver half of immigrants with a bachelor\u2019s degree or higher are overqualified for their jobs, which is costing Canada\u2019s economy billions of dollars every year,\u201d states the budget document, which says the efforts will be focused on health and construction sectors. \u00a0<\/p>\n

The news comes as the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) launches a new campaign<\/a> designed to reintroduce Canada to the world, following rapid policy changes and mixed public messages that have led to confusion about Canada\u2019s openness to international students.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The campaign seeks to reach prospective international students,\u00a0their families and recruitment partners through digital storytelling and social engagement that showcases the country\u2019s academic excellence, diverse study locations and inclusiveness. <\/p>\n

Domestically, it seeks to remind Canadians of the important role that international students play in \u201cstrengthening communities, supporting labour market needs and enriching the fabric of Canada for its future success and prosperity,\u201d CBIE president Larissa Bezo wrote in a timely piece for The PIE.<\/p>\n

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