Thank you, Mr. Chair and honourable members.
I want to begin by acknowledging that we are gathered on the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people.
We've been invited here today to discuss reforms made to the international student program over the past year.
Canada has a long and proud history of welcoming newcomers, including international students. Part of being a welcoming country is ensuring that international students are set up for success in Canada. We have taken steps to tackle the issues that have made some students vulnerable and have challenged the integrity of the international student program.
Over the last 18 months, the government has set into motion the most significant set of reforms since the creation of the program. The purpose of these reforms is to address unsustainable growth, to better calibrate the volume and requirements of the international student program with permanent resident programs, to strengthen program integrity, to reduce student vulnerability and to incentivize greater diversification of the international student population.
Given these objectives, IRCC has brought forward several measures.
In December of last year, IRCC introduced an enhanced letter of acceptance verification system to better protect students from fraud. As of January 1, IRCC has increased the cost of living financial threshold for study permit applicants from $10,000 to approximately $20,000 to help ensure that international students are more financially prepared for life in Canada. As of January 22 of this year, the department established an intake cap on most study permit applications in order to stabilize the international student population. The cap will be reduced by a further 10% in 2025 and will remain at that level in 2026.
In August, the department launched the pilot program for French-speaking foreign students in francophone minority communities outside Quebec. The goal is to make the program fairer for francophone students from regions in which the study permit approval rate is generally lower.
This pilot program helps us meet the federal government's francophone immigration commitments and provides students with a direct pathway to permanent residence and access to settlement services while they're studying.
As of November 1, 2024, IRCC has updated the post-graduation work permit program to better align it with immigration goals and labour market needs, including by introducing new language proficiency requirements and field of study requirements. This follows other changes made in late 2023 that closed a loophole created by curriculum licensing agreements, which was driving unsustainable growth in certain areas of the country.
Finally, new regulations are expected this fall that will strengthen program integrity, providing IRCC with new tools for dealing with non-compliant learning institutions, requiring students to apply for a new permit when switching institutions and adjusting the number of hours international students may work off campus from 20 hours to 24 hours per week.
These reforms respond to concerns from Canadians about the capacity of communities and institutions to support international students, as well as protecting international students from exploitation. Early signs indicate that these policies are working.
The enhanced letter of acceptance verification system has already intercepted more than 10,000 potentially fraudulent letters of acceptance.
From January to September of this year, we had 200,000 fewer international students coming to Canada, compared to 2023. This decrease will help stabilize volumes and ensure that students who come to Canada receive the support they need to succeed.
Recent reports also show that overheated rental markets, particularly around universities and colleges, are starting to cool down. Pressures on communities to provide housing and other services are beginning to ease.
While these indicators may be encouraging, we will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Throughout this reform process, IRCC has worked with provinces, territories, national education associations, designated learning institutions and many other stakeholders.
Provinces and territories in particular play a key role. Immigration is a shared jurisdiction, while education is the exclusive responsibility of provinces and territories. IRCC has allocated study permit application spaces under the cap to provinces and territories, which in turn are responsible for distributing their allocation among designated learning institutions. I highlight this point to emphasize that provinces and territories retain control over how the cap aligns with their immigration and other objectives at the provincial and territorial levels.
Canada has many high-quality education institutions, and thanks to our welcoming and diverse society, Canada remains a top destination for international students. While we recognize that it has been a disruptive year for institutions and students, these reforms will ultimately help Canada solidify its competitive edge in recruiting and retaining top talent.
Thank you for your interest in this subject. We are pleased to answer your questions.
