Canadian College: Ontario, the Canadian province with the highest influx of international students, is set to limit college spaces available to them, signalling a broader crackdown on temporary immigration.
This move forebodes a looming financial challenge for many colleges heavily reliant on foreign enrolments for growth. Colleges Ontario, representing the industry, forecasts revenue losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars this upcoming fall.
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The new regulations stipulate that individual colleges and universities in Ontario can only allocate a maximum of 55 international-student permits for every 100 Canadian students in first-year programs, with few exceptions. Moreover, permits cannot surpass last year’s levels for each institution.
Conestoga College, which boasted the highest number of study permits last year, alongside public-private partnership colleges, are expected to bear the brunt of this restriction, according to Ontario’s government.
The provincial decision responds to the federal government’s two-year cap on foreign students, part of a larger trend of scaling back immigration plans amid concerns over housing shortages.
Public-private programs, particularly prevalent in the Toronto area, have been pivotal in driving Canada‘s surge in foreign student numbers.
These hybrid institutions, often repurposing office buildings and retail spaces, cater to international students predominantly from India seeking higher education as a pathway to post-graduation work and permanent residency.
The shift in policy underscores the complexities of managing immigration and education systems in tandem, as governments seek to balance economic opportunities with domestic concerns.
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