Following accusations that Canada’s education system is bringing in so many international students that it is increasing strain on housing and the labour market, the government of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is implementing new measures to tighten requirements on institutions.
As per Bloomberg, Immigration Minister Marc Miller unveiled a framework on Friday that will compel academic institutions to establish elevated benchmarks for services, assistance, and results for foreign learners, commencing with the autumn 2024 term.
Schools that meet the higher benchmark will get priority for the processing of student visas, Miller said, and adequate housing will be one of the criteria.
Institutions also will be required to confirm every applicant’s acceptance letter directly with the Canadian government starting December 1, he said.
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He explained that the process was designed to tackle fraud, following revelations that hundreds of Indian newcomers unknowingly arrived in Canada with fake college admissions letters.
In the coming months, Miller’s department will also review the post-graduate work permit program and introduce reforms to ensure it meets the needs of the labor market.
The plan comes amid growing concern that Canadian educational institutions rely too much on international students as a source of funding, Bloomberg said.
Foreign students are charged an average of five times as much as Canadian students, and colleges catering to foreigners have popped up in strip malls and temporary buildings, most notably in the Toronto suburb of Brampton, Ontario where Miller made his announcement on Friday.
“We know that there has been consistent underfunding of post-secondary education, particularly by provinces, depending on the province, over the years – and institutions are smart and have adapted to that,” Miller said at a news conference.
“That has gone through at times opportunistic fees that have been charged to international students to close a gap that is really an unnatural one and shouldn’t be the case in a country like Canada.”
