Canada has lengthy been a popular vacation spot for Indian college students searching for high quality training and promising profession alternatives overseas. The nation’s welcoming immigration insurance policies, numerous cultural panorama, and a properly accepted Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program have traditionally attracted a major variety of worldwide college students, notably from India.
However, 2024 witnessed a collection of coverage shifts and diplomatic tensions which have begun to alter this panorama, main to a noticeable decline in curiosity amongst potential college students.
Diplomatic strains impacting scholar mobility
The diplomatic rift between India and Canada, which escalated in 2024, has launched uncertainties in visa processing and total scholar mobility. The discount of diplomatic employees and the ensuing slowdown in visa providers have notably affected college students from areas like Punjab, the place there’s a excessive demand for Canadian training alternatives. Concerns over potential disruptions to study plans have grown, with some college students reconsidering their selections in mild of those geopolitical tensions.
Revised PGWP eligibility standards
In 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) applied a number of changes to the PGWP program:
Curriculum Licensing Agreements: As of May 15, worldwide college students enrolled in applications provided by way of curriculum licensing agreements between non-public and public schools grew to become ineligible for PGWPs. This adjustment aimed to tighten the standards for work allow eligibility, affecting college students who had deliberate their training based mostly on these collaborative applications.
Master’s Degree Graduates: Effective February 15, graduates from grasp’s applications, no matter the program’s size, grew to become eligible for 3-12 months work permits. This change advantages these enrolled in shorter grasp’s applications, offering them with prolonged time to achieve Canadian work expertise and pursue everlasting residency pathways.
Language Proficiency Requirements: Starting November 1, PGWP candidates are required to display language proficiency with a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) rating of seven for college graduates and 5 for faculty graduates. This new requirement underscores the emphasis on language abilities for profitable integration into the Canadian workforce.
Field of Study Restrictions: Announced on September 18, eligibility for PGWPs now necessitates that worldwide college students graduate from fields linked to occupations experiencing lengthy-time period shortages, akin to agriculture, healthcare, STEM, trades, and transport. This coverage, efficient November 1, excludes faculty and vocational program graduates from different fields, probably narrowing alternatives for a lot of college students.
Increase in fundamental monetary necessities
The value of living requirement for study allow candidates doubled on January 1, rising from $10,000 to $20,635 for a single applicant. This substantial improve provides a monetary burden on potential college students, who should now display increased monetary capability in addition to masking tuition and journey bills.
In addition to this, in order to handle the inflow of worldwide college students, IRCC launched an consumption cap on study allow functions.
In 2024the cap aimed for about 360,000 authorized new study permits, marking a 35% lower from 2023. This discount was a part of a broader technique to stability instructional sources and infrastructure with the variety of incoming college students. For 2025an additional 10% discount from the 2024 goal was introduced, setting the issuance aim at 437,000 study permits.
Stricter laws for study allow holders
The introduction of Provincial Attestation Letters (PALs) on January 22 requires most put up-secondary study allow candidates to receive a PAL as proof of credible admission, aligning with the new consumption caps. Additionally, as of November 15, worldwide college students wishing to change establishments should apply for a brand new study allow, changing the earlier, extra versatile system.
Modifications to off-campus work hours
The non permanent allowance for limitless off-campus work hours, launched throughout the pandemic, ended on April 29. The permissible work hours have been subsequently adjusted. In the interval prior to November 15:, International college students have been restricted to 20 hours of off-campus work per week throughout educational classes. However, after November 15, this restrict elevated to 24 hours per week, providing college students barely extra flexibility to help themselves financially whereas sustaining their educational commitments.
Revised spousal work allow eligibility
Changes applied on March 19 restricted spousal open work permits to spouses of worldwide college students enrolled in grasp’s and doctoral applications. Exceptions have been made for sure undergraduate skilled levels. Further restrictions introduced in September, but to take impact, suggest limiting eligibility to spouses of grasp’s college students in applications of at least 16 months’ length.
Looking forward to 2025, the cumulative impact of those coverage changes, mixed with ongoing diplomatic tensions, is probably going to additional reshape the international notion of Canada as a study vacation spot. With stricter eligibility standards for work permits, elevated monetary necessities, and lowered flexibility in study allow laws, Canada might witness a continued decline in worldwide scholar curiosity.
