Updated: Government of Canada Announces Changes to International Student Program, with More Changes to Come
Immigration officials will now review acceptance letters before a student visa is issued.
Update, December 12, 2023: Some changes have been officially announced to the international student program in Canada. Please check out the links below for the latest information on these topics:
Canada's set to make changes to the way international student visas are processed, in an effort to ensure every student has a valid acceptance letter from a college or university.
In the wake of a recent scandal involving fake acceptance letters, the Canadian government is updating the process for giving out student visas to international students.
Colleges and universities must verify acceptance letters
An acceptance letter is an official welcome from a college or university: receiving an acceptance letter means you've secured a seat in your program and can attend the institution.
Unfortunately, some educational agents abroad were found to be faking acceptance letters, leaving students without a place to study in Canada.
To ensure that students aren't targeted in the future, the government is enforcing new rules on colleges and universities that want to admit international students. Schools will now need to verify each acceptance letter with immigration officials.
What does this change mean for future international students studying in Canada?
The new review process could slow down the issuance of student visas while colleges and universities adjust. Specifically, the time between receiving an acceptance from a Canadian school, and receiving a student visa, may grow.
International students are an important part of the Canadian post-secondary landscape, though, so you can expect that schools, and immigration officials, will do everything they can to ensure qualified students like you can reach Canada and start your education. Canada played host to nearly one million international students this year!
Next year: "recognized" institutions = faster study permits
More changes are coming next year, too. Certain colleges and universities will be considered "trusted" partners, allowing them to issue student visas without needing approval from the immigration department.
What criteria will be used to designate a trusted partner school isn't clear yet, but we'll share more information with you when we have it.
Post-graduate work permit (PGWP) changes on the horizon, too
Finally, you can expect to see some changes to the post-graduate work permit program, which has undergone several modifications through the last few years.
In a nutshell, a PGWP allows an international student who has graduated from a Canadian college or university to stay in Canada to work. PGWPs last for a couple of years, and can be a stepping stone to permanent residency, allowing grads to build their Canadian work experience.
What exactly will change is still under wraps, but we'll update you when we can.
The main goal of Canadian colleges, universities, and immigration officials is to ensure that the students coming to Canada have a positive, productive, educational experience. Administrators and officials will continue to adjust these programs to better serve students, from Canada and abroad.
Update, December 12, 2023: Some changes have been officially announced to the international student program in Canada. Please check out the links below for the latest information on these topics:
Read more about studying abroad in Canada