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In the latest development in student enrollment, the Canadian province of British Columbia announced that it will temporarily halt approving new colleges seeking to enroll international students for the next two years, until February 2026.
Notably, the province has a significant Indian population across top institutions like the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, the University of Victoria, and many others.
Further, British Columbia also plans to introduce minimum requirements at private training institutions and set higher standards for labor market needs and degree quality, according to media reports.
This recent move aims to protect international students from being exploited by unscrupulous institutions and improve the overall quality of post-secondary education in the province.
Moreover, it also attributes to the Justin Trudeau-led government’s plan to curb a surge in immigration of international students, which has been partly blamed for a housing crisis in Canada.
Last week, the Canadian government announced a two-year cap on new international student permits, aiming to reduce intake by 35% to around 360,000 this year. It will also cease issuing post-graduation work permits to some students.
Recent estimates put Canada's international student population over one million, with Indians comprising the largest share at 37%. However, Canada's Immigration Minister Marc Miller recently indicated a decline in study permits for Indian students amid diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
In 2023, Canada aimed to admit 500,000 permanent residents and 900,000 international students to stimulate economic growth. However, intake exceeded these limits, and Canada now faces a housing shortfall of 345,000 units, exacerbated by rising interest rates.
This poses significant challenges for the Trudeau government as it attempts to balance immigration goals with domestic constraints.
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