New cap on international study permits sparks outcry from Simcoe County colleges

Officials at Simcoe County's post-secondary institutions are speaking out against Ottawa's decision to limit the total number of international study permits issued to students.

The Federal government announced this week's decision to put a two-year cap on international study permits, with approximately 360,000 permits to be approved this year - that stands for a 35 per cent reduction from 2023.

The new restrictions were in response to a recent spike in the number of international students in the country and concerns that some schools accept these students in droves to boost revenues while failing to deliver on housing needs and quality education.

Georgian College

The decision is disappointing to Georgian College President and CEO Kevin Weaver, who told CTV News Thursday that it was made without consultation from Canadian post-secondary institutions.

"An announcement like that is pretty shattering," Weaver said. "Not only for students here in Canada, but we're already hearing there are students concerned about wanting to come to study in Canada. It's leaving more questions than answers right now. It's definitely unsettling."

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Georgian College's student base comprises over 6,300 international students, representing half its 12,488 full-time population - a fraction of the over 800,000 international students in Canada.

"There are ways we could have worked more collaboratively to come up with a solution," Weaver said. "We try to fill gaps within labour markets with our graduates. At the end of the day, if you have less students, you have less graduates and that will have a ripple effect on the economy."

Ontario Colleges

In a statement released Thursday, Ontario Colleges, which represents the province's 24 publicly-funded colleges, accused the federal government of failing to consult with educational institutions on the recently implemented changes, which they called "rushed" and "damaging."

"The federal government's cap on study permits for international students is essentially a moratorium by stealth that is already causing significant and unnecessary upheaval for students, employers and communities," the statement read.

Student Reaction

Dikshant Thukral is the president of the Georgian College Student Association and an international student.

Thukral said he dreamt of studying abroad in Canada and worries the decision will discourage others from doing the same.

"There will be a lot of students back in my home country or other countries who are willing to come to Canada and have their future here," he said. "I think it's heartbreaking for me."

Thukral isn't the only student union president in Simcoe County worried about Ottawa's rollback of international study permits.

At Lakehead University, Faraz Khorsandi came from Iran to study and work in Canada, hoping also to bring over his sister.

"It's hard to see that they're putting a cap on international students," Khorsandi said. "What we're led to believe is the moment we come here, you get a job, you can pay for your tuition, which is about six times more than a domestic student, but the job market just isn't there to support us."

Some housing experts say the rapid growth in international students is a major strain on Canada's limited housing supply, making rent more expensive.

"From what I've seen, the housing and healthcare crises existed long before the number of international students increased," Khorsandi said. "To put that blame on international students is a little bit harsh."

OSSTF Fires Back

Of all the provinces, Ontario stands to lose the most with the two-year cap, resulting in a 50 per cent decrease in permits in Ontario.

This week, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) blamed the Ford government for underfunding post-secondary institutions, leading to an over-reliance on international student enrollment.

"It is grossly inaccurate and harmful to blame international students for the serious issues that the Ford government has manufactured in the post-secondary sector," stated OSSTF/FEESO President Karen Littlewood. "When it comes to funding universities and colleges, Ontario is dead last. Ford has deliberately underfunded post-secondary education in Ontario for years, creating a situation where universities and colleges were forced to become over-reliant on international tuition fees as a significant source of revenue."

Lakehead University

At Lakehead University, the interim principal at its Orillia Campus told CTV News on Thursday that this decision follows a few challenging years for universities and colleges.

"This was not something we were expecting," said Dr. Linda Rodenburg. "After a tuition freeze, a tuition cut and no real increase in funding in this sector in quite some time, we're concerned this will affect our financial viability."

Rodenburg said that roughly 21 per cent of Lakehead University's student base comprises international students.

All institutions are awaiting further instruction from the province on how to proceed.

"We know it's an evolving issue, and we are ready to work with the provincial government to create a system that will work for international students going forward."