Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Sept. 23rd, 2025

[Aiesha Zafar]

The 8% are potentially non-compliant, meaning that the university or the post-secondary institution, the DLI, has reported back that they don't have information on these individuals.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Madam Chair, I'd also like to use my time to give verbal notice of a motion:

That Dr. John Tibbits, president of Conestoga College, be summoned to appear before the committee, by himself, for no less than one hour, to give testimony further to the committee’s study on international student program and study permits, at a date and time to be fixed by the chair of the committee, but no less than three weeks following the adoption of this motion.

Madam Chair, I am shocked that Mr. Tibbits does not think it's important to come to this study, particularly given that Seneca—I'm sorry, but Seneca College should probably come too—given that Conestoga College has been the subject of numerous stories about abuse of foreign students. Essentially all of the media stories I've heard say that under his leadership, Conestoga College has expanded profit but forced students out into food banks and created a massive housing crisis in the region. The fact that he is ignoring this committee tells me only one thing: I am right, and we are going to have to make recommendations without him appearing.

I hope I don't have to move this motion. I think it is fairly embarrassing that he would choose not to come to this committee. It is a shot across the bow. I really hope, Madam Chair, that President Tibbits would accept the invitation to come to this committee so that we do not have to make a major media story about him choosing not to and trying to send his lobby group instead. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

Thank you, Ms. Rempel Garner. That ends your five minutes. Next on our list is Ms. Salma Zahid.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thanks to our witnesses who are here on this important study.

I would like to ask them a question in regard to the work permits that are issued after the completion of the courses for which the international students are coming. Who is eligible for the work permits, and are there any specific courses or codes that are defined, so that only those people would be able to get work permits?

[Soyoung Park]

The postgraduate work permit, as I mentioned, is an open work permit. We did introduce some changes to the eligibility for that work permit on November 1, 2024. Essentially we introduced a slightly higher language requirement if you are a university student as opposed to a college student. We also said that if you were in college, then there would be a requirement that your field of study be aligned with Canada's economic needs. That's why we do the consultations on the category-based selection of express entry, to align those needs with the number of work permits that we issue to international students.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East, ON]

Thank you.

Are there any specific codes? How is that decision made? Is there any research you have done that shows that work permits will be issued only for these subjects or codes?

[Soyoung Park]

They would have had to apply for the postgraduate work permit, and they have to be international students. We do that through the eligibility requirements.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East, ON]

Some institutions, like Centennial College, are saying that there are certain fields of study from which international students are not eligible to get work permits, and that's affecting the courses they are offering at their colleges.

[Soyoung Park]

Yes, absolutely. One of the reasons we introduced the field of study is to make sure that when international students come to Canada, they are hopefully studying in areas where they could, in the future, contribute to the economy of Canada. Now you go from being an international student to being a temporary worker. Our expectation is that it is going to be in a field or in an area where there is a labour need in Canada.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East, ON]

Can you tell us how IRCC has communicated the recent policy changes to international students and the post-secondary institutions so that clients and stakeholders can make informed choices and understand the system better?

[Soyoung Park]

There are many ways in which we have endeavoured to share that information. We know it's very important.

As I stated, there are many changes that have taken place. Of course, we use the information on our website. We also have regular updates to provinces and territories and also with national education associations and specific or individual DLIs. There are a lot more of them than us, and it makes it a bit challenging, but that is why we attempt to share as much as possible in writing.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East, ON]

In regard to the housing needs, since the introduction of the international student cap, what measurable benefits have we seen so far in relieving the pressure on the local housing markets? Can you point to any metrics showing these benefits?

[Soyoung Park]

Thank you.

I have already cited some of those benefits. Because of the cap and the reduction to international student volumes, particularly in those communities where there's a higher percentage of domestic and international students, what we have seen is that since the cap there has been a cooling down of the global market.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East, ON]

Do you have any data for the city of Toronto?

[Soyoung Park]

I don't have it specifically for Toronto, because we were citing not IRCC stats but those from CMHC as the official source, but we can endeavour to get that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

Thank you so much, Ms. Park.

Thank you so much, Ms. Zahid.

Because we started about seven minutes late, I think we have enough time for maybe two minutes for the Conservatives and two minutes for the Liberals, and then, Monsieur Duceppe, if you would like two minutes, I can give two minutes each just to complete this section of our agenda for today.

We'll start with Mr. Davies, followed by Ms. Sodhi, and then we'll end with Monsieur Duceppe.

Mr. Davies, you have two minutes, please.

[Fred Davies, Conservative, Niagara South, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I appreciate all of the comments that are being made here today about the intricacies of running this department, but over the course of the election campaign the thing I heard most about was that the student immigration and visa program was completely broken. We went from roughly 350,000 people in 2015 to just under a million in 2023.

Does anybody track the financial implication that this has had—this sudden shift of completely turning the program and its open-ended application process? Do you track the financial implications of this on post-secondary institutions?

[Bronwyn May, Director General, International Students Branch, Department of Citizenship and Immigration]

Yes. Global Affairs Canada has commissioned a number of studies tracking the financial implications and impact of the student program in Canada in relation to GDP and a number of other metrics. I think they're preparing to issue another update on that very shortly.

[Fred Davies, Conservative, Niagara South, ON]

Okay. Interestingly, in the fall economic statement last year, the federal government changed the law relating to the capacity or ability of post-secondary institutions to seek creditor protection or even protection under bankruptcy laws. The department now has flip-flopped on the number of students coming in. Are you aware that that has some serious implications for financial institutions, and do you believe that the taxpayer should actually now be responsible for bailing out post-secondary institutions as a result of the failures of the student visa program?

[Soyoung Park]

I don't think I would be able to speak to the points that you're raising at this time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

Thank you so much, Mr. Davies.

Ms. Sodhi, you have two minutes.

[Amandeep Sodhi, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair, for the additional time. I'll be really quick.

Can one of you please let us know what performance measures IRCC is using to assess whether recent policy changes to the international student program are achieving their intended results? Can you update us on the progress of any of these performance indicators?

[Soyoung Park]

As I have indicated, because a lot of the changes were implemented either at the very end of 2023 or in most of 2024, a lot of the results would not necessarily be fully available at this time. All I can provide to you at this time are some of those early results. What you have seen is that we have been able to bring down the number of international students who are in Canada, which has resulted in a cooling of the housing market as well.

[Amandeep Sodhi, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Thank you.

How much time do I have?

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

You have 50 seconds, but you don't have to take it.