The Government of Canada cut the number of visas issued to international students by 10 per cent, sparking fears of financial fallout for universities.
Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship of Canada, Marc Miller, announced a tightening of the restrictions on international enrollment at Canadian universities on Sept. 18. The recent change drops the overall intake from 485,000 international student permits in 2024, to a planned 437,000 in 2025. This reduced number also includes graduate and doctoral students, who were formerly exempt from these restrictions.
This decision comes after Marc Miller previously announced on Jan. 22 there will be a national cap on the number of international students in Canada, meaning there will be no increase in the number of international students in Canada over the following two years.
READ MORE: University ‘concerned’ about cap on international students
This change has received backflash from various individuals and organizations, such as the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA). The non-profit organization represents the interests of teachers, researchers, and librarians across Ontarian Universities to the provincial government in Ontario.
In a recent press release, OCUFA explained the issue with this change, and how the lack of revenue from the inflated international student tuition, which is on average $39,753 higher than domestic tuition, will negatively impact domestic students.
“Universities have limited options. They cannot increase the number of domestic students without policy changes by the government, including funding for more faculty to teach more students. They cannot increase reliance on private donors and corporations without risking undue influence on the university’s curriculum and governance,” OCUFA wrote in a press release.
In the same statement, OCUFA outlined how this change only adds fuel to an existing financial crisis for universities across Ontario while also sending a message to the students that they aren’t welcome.
OCUFA is calling for more provincial funding to help assist with the problem, adding that “Ontario’s funding is dead last in the country.” In 2021-22, Ontario provided $9,890 per domestic student in university funding, while the Canadian average was $15,806, making Ontario’s funding per student 40 per cent lower than the national average.
This change comes amidst issues surrounding budget cuts in the Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS) at Queen’s, with one driving factor behind these cuts being a lack of international student enrollment. In 2019, Queen’s hosted 600 full-time international students, this fell by over 30 per cent in 2022-23.
READ MORE: What should students know about Queen’s budget cuts?
When addressing the Queen’s Senate last year about the budget deficit, Principal Patrick Deane echoed similar concerns of underfunding that exists province wide.
“This is a sign of a widespread problem which arises from a very extended period of underfunding in the Province of Ontario,” Deane said.
In a statement to The Journal, the University reiterated the principal’s concerns, explaining this change gives the wrong idea to prospective international students.
“The recent announcement to further reduce caps, and to include previously exempted graduate students, sends the wrong signal to top international talent while failing to distinguish leading research universities who have demonstrated responsible and modest growth,” the University wrote in a statement.
Queen’s said they’ve maximized the number of offers they’re allowed to give to international students and are continuing to make offers for a January start. Their goal is to offer 400 spots by the end of their enrolment period on Nov. 1 and they are on track to meet that target.
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