In response to housing and affordability challenges intensified by 800,000 international students, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Marc Miller, has announced an immediate 35% cut in student visas for two years. This reduction translates to 364,000 fewer international students entering Canada.
Visa applicants must now provide a “provincial attestation” confirming their chosen institution is not considered a “bad actor” or the “diploma equivalent of puppy mills,” with educational licensing falling under provincial jurisdiction.
Minister Miller clarified that ‘bad actors’ include those on student visas who fail to enroll in college or university, with up to a quarter of 2019 study permit holders not registering, according to Statistics Canada. He emphasized that the student visa program aims to avoid questionable degrees, expressing frustration with potential misuse, such as driving for Uber without attending classes.
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