It's very anecdotal, but yesterday we heard that people were changing their plans to come and study at eight Canadian francophone institutions and that they instead intended to apply for study permits in Quebec because they felt they had a better chance of getting one.
The announcement was made barely a week ago, but the message is already spreading through the international networks. You should never underestimate the speed at which these things circulate. I'll give you an example.
When the Quebec government announced a cut to tuition fees for international students who were going to study specific disciplines in the regions, within 48 hours, recruiters from our institutions on the ground in Africa were being asked, "Why would I study in Moncton if I can get a scholarship to study in Quebec?" So we assume that the news that was announced last week is already out there.
In addition, if someone applies for a study permit on January 23, 24 or 25, that application won't be processed because it isn't accompanied by an attestation letter from the province. None of the provinces has been able to roll out in a few days the new system that IRCC is asking them to create.
That's why we're telling you that there's currently a de facto moratorium on the processing of study permits. Our partners at Universities Canada and Colleges and Institutes Canada sent a letter to Mr. Miller this week criticizing that moratorium-like state and asking him to allow continuing processing of study permits.