For the second consecutive year, Canada is to cap, in 2025, the number of international students who are to be admitted into the country. The decision is part of the government’s continuous efforts to reduce pressure on housing, healthcare, and other public services.
On Friday, the Canadian immigration ministry said it would be issuing 437,000 study permits in 2025. That is 10% less than 2024, and that will continue efforts to help deal with the challenge of growing too rapidly and housing costs base.
This decision to limit international student permits has been proposed in 2024. Speculation followed that admission of foreign students was exacerbating house shortages in Canada. Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, is expected to retire in March and previously promised to cut immigration levels after support for newcomers declined in recent polls.
In 2023 alone, Canada issued more than 650,000 study permits, which took the country’s number of international students to over one million. This is almost three times more than a decade ago, contributing both to economic growth and the increasing strain on public services. Although international students bring in much more money to the Canadian economy with higher tuition fees, there has also been an increased demand on such basic commodities as healthcare and education.
The Canadian government has considered such concerns by compelling most study permit applicants to come with a Provincial or Territorial Attestation Letter showing their inclusion in the new cap. This, in 2025, extends to master’s and postdoctoral students as well.
