On Monday January 22, 2024 the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship announced several major changes to the international student program. Amongst these changes was the introduction of a two-year cap that would see a 35% reduction in the amount of newly admitted international students for Fall 2024.

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The Canadian Federation of Students condemns the implementation of this cap and are very concerned about the long-term implications of this decision.

Although this decision does not target current international students, we know that this will have repercussions that will impact all future international students. Due to decreases in public funding over the last several decades from all levels of government, institutions have become over-reliant on international student tuition to cover losses in revenue. Institutions will continue to dramatically raise their tuition fees for international students to account for the loss in revenue, especially in provinces where international student tuition is unregulated.

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“This decision from the Federal Government will only continue to make post-secondary education less accessible and more expensive,” said Natalia Tola, National Deputy Chairperson “This decision is gravely concerning without a strategic plan to implement this cap, the lack of public investment in education, as well as the disastrous consequences this decision will have on all international students,” said Tola. 

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Furthermore, it is not apparent to the Federation how the Federal government intends to address “bad actors” without further targeting international students. The housing crisis existed well before massive increases in international student visas started to occur and will exist well beyond when those numbers decrease.

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The level of discourse around this issue is extremely distressing, as it places undue blame on a group that is not responsible for the rise in the cost of living. Particularly when there has been little done to address the rampant exploitation of international students or the root causes of the national housing crisis. This has the potential to contribute to ongoing lateral violence and xenophobia to many international students.

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The Federation has communicated its concerns with the Minister’s office and we will continue to work with all levels of government to see a sustainable, long-term vision for free and accessible post-secondary education. 

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The Federation is calling for an immediate investment by the Federal government into post-secondary education to ensure students are not the ones handed the bill because of this decision and to immediately announce further details surrounding this proposal. The Federation is also calling for the federal government to immediately work on creating an office for a PSE Secretariat that is able to provide proper oversight of post-secondary education.

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Regardless of status, the Federation remains committed to calling on all levels of government to implement long-term investment in post-secondary education in a way that is equitable, accountable, and accessible to all. 

In solidarity, 

Canadian Federation of Students 

‍The Canadian Federation of Students is Canada’s oldest and largest students’ union, uniting more than 530,000 college and university students in the demand for high-quality, public, post-secondary education.