Ontario takes action to 'improve integrity' for International students

Five days after the federal government announced a cap on international study permits, the Ford government is rolling out new rules that will help improve colleges' and universities' integrity.

The new measures include requiring colleges and universities to guarantee housing options for incoming international students and introducing a moratorium on new public college and private institution partnerships.

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"We all want to ensure that students coming to this province have the best opportunities," said Simcoe North MPP Jill Dunlop. "They're coming here for an education. These are young people looking for that Canadian dream."

Dunlop told CTV News the province is displeased with the federal government's "lack of consultation" with stakeholders, post-secondary institutions and provincial governments.

Earlier this week, Federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced a 35 percent reduction in the number of study permits this year; however, how many permits each province is allocated is still to be determined.

With Ontario's international student enrollment by far the largest, enrollment numbers in the province could drop by as much as 50 per cent.

"We need to strengthen the links between Ontario's labour market needs and the programs being offered to students so we can get even more people into rewarding careers in health care and the skilled trades," Dunlop said.

While the province is rolling out its new rules, others blame the Ford Government for the current situation.

"When it comes to funding universities and colleges, Ontario is dead last," read a statement from the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation earlier this week. "Ford has deliberately defunded post-secondary education in Ontario for years, creating a situation where universities and colleges were forced to become reliant on international tuition fees as a significant source of revenue."

In 2022, an Ontario auditor general report said the province's schools had become increasingly dependent on tuition fees from international students.

In the meantime, the Ontario government said it would also work to explore ways to crack down further on "bad-actor" recruiters who take advantage of international students.