Published January 25, 2024

On Jan. 22, the Hon. Marc Miller, Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Canadian Citizenship (IRCC) Minister, outlined the federal government’s latest changes to the international student visa program.

Based on what has been announced, here is a breakdown of the new measures and what they mean for UCW’s international student community:

Change 1: The federal government has announced a temporary 2-year cap on new international student permit applications.

  • This new measure WILL NOT apply to Master’s students.
  • At this time, our understanding regarding the cap on international students is that NO CURRENT STUDENTS WILL BE AFFECTED by the proposed changes to the visa program. The government and the minister of immigration have signaled only new and incoming applications will be subject to the proposed changes. 

  • Provinces will oversee the distribution of these caps and B.C. is expected to make an announcement in the very near term.
  • We will share more details as both federal and B.C. changes are further clarified.

Change 2: As of September 1, 2024, international students enrolled in Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) will no longer be eligible for Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWPs) upon graduation.

  • These changes DO NOT apply to University Canada West students. 

Change 3: According to IRCC’s announcement, graduates of Master’s and similar short graduate-level programs may soon qualify for a three-year work permit.

  • We are verifying additional details, including the possibility of Master’s graduates receiving extended PGWPs.

  • We will share more details as these changes are further clarified.

Change 4: Open work permits will only be available to spouses of international students studying for their Master’s or PhD.

  • This change WILL NOT affect spouses of graduate international students (Masters, PhD).
  • Open work permits will no longer be available to spouses of undergraduate students.

  • We will share more details as these changes are further clarified.

Change 5: As of January 22, 2024, every study permit application submitted to IRCC will also require an attestation letter from a province or territory.

  • Current undergraduate and graduate international students at UCW WILL NOT be affected by this measure.

  • What does this new federal change mean for UCW applicants?

  • New undergraduate students will need to provide a PAL from the province or territory where they plan to study, including prospective students applying for a pre-requisite course or program. This means that MBA Foundation (MBAF) and University Access Program (UAP) applicants continuing to the MBA program will need to request a PAL. Only prospective students directly admitted to UCW’s MBA program will not need to request a PAL.

  • Provinces and territories are expected to establish a process for issuing attestation letters to students by no later than March 31, 2024.
  • UCW will share further details about this process for undergraduate student visa applicants once information from the Government of British Columbia is available.

UCW will continue to share more details as they become available.  Please check back here regularly for new updates. 

Where can I read the full announcement about these changes?

Further information can be found in the news release from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Provincial government announcement

On January 29, the British Columbia Government announced changes to its requirements for post-secondary institutions that accept international students. These changes come in addition to the ones the federal government previously announced.

Among the changes announced:

  • There will be a pause on approvals of new post-secondary institutions seeking to enroll international students for the next two years. However, this only applies to new colleges and universities, and it DOES NOT impact UCW.
  • There will be more frequent inspections of all private post-secondary institutions to ensure that new and improved quality standards are met and that students are properly supported.
  • The provincial government will implement higher standards to ensure students receive quality education. Private degree programs will need to meet higher assessment criteria for degree quality, meet labour-market needs for graduates and appropriate resources, and student support.
  • Private training institutions will now require minimum language skills to ensure new international students are better prepared for their educational and professional journey in BC.

UCW is actively engaging government officials at all levels to gain a clearer understanding of these changes and will propose solutions that protect the integrity of the international student program.

Updated May 03, 2024