Pressure on housing prompts Canada to reduce admission slots for foreign students

In a bid to address the pressure on housing and healthcare, Canada has announced its readiness to cap the number of foreign students admitted to the country for two years.

Over 800,000 foreign students were in Canada in 2022, but this year, the country aims to approve only 360,000 undergraduate study permits.

This will reduce the number of study permits for Nigerian and other international students by 35%.

Announcing the development on Monday, January 22, 2024, the country's Immigration Minister, Marc Miller, said Canada aims to approve around 360,000 undergraduate study permits this year.

He explained that from the 360,000 permits, each province and territory would be allocated a portion determined by population and current student intake and distributed among their universities.

The cap according to him would only apply to students at a diploma or undergraduate programme, and will not affect students applying for study permit renewals.

"Each province and territory will be allotted a portion of the total, distributed according to population," Miller said.

"The federal government says this will result in much more significant decreases in provinces where the international student population has seen the most unsustainable growth."

He said the cap will be in place for two years, adding that the number of visas to be issued in 2025 will be reassessed at the end of 2024.

Miller also disclosed that the government would stop granting work permits for students graduating from colleges that operate under a public-private partnership model.

"It's unacceptable that some private institutions have taken advantage of international students by operating under-resourced campuses, lacking supports for students and charging high tuition fees, all while significantly increasing their intake of international students," he said.

He clarified that the new measures are "not against individual international students" but are meant to ensure future students receive the "quality of education that they signed up for."

According to Reuters,Home prices in Canada now average C$750,000 ($550,000;£435,000) and rent for Canadians has risen 22% in the last two years.

The situation, culminating in housing unaffordability, has reportedly been linked to the hike in immigration with home construction not keeping up with the country's unprecedented population growth.

Last year, Canada's population - largely driven by immigration - hit a record of 40 million people.