There will be no new study permit applications in Canada until March 2024. This week, IRCC declared the upcoming changes to stabilize growth and reduce the number of new study permits issued this year.
No new study permit applications in Canada until March 2024
The immigration department is dependent on provinces to restrict the issuance of at least 360,000 new study permits in 2024. There is a higher chance that no new study permit applications will be issued until March 31, 2024. This is possible if the provinces also cooperate with this initiative.
Even before the recent announcement of IRCC, international students only needed to demonstrate a Letter of Acceptance from a DLI before applying for a study permit.
IRCC stated that effective January 22 this year, each study permit application submission will also demand a provincial or territorial attestation letter.
Essentially, they must submit attestation letters to IRCC along with an LOA from a DLI in Canada. The DLI must be where the student seeks to go.
IRCC believes that attestation letters will be an evident proof of a study permit’s authenticity. The provincial or territorial governments have until March 31 to create a procedure for issuing student attestation letters.
While Canadian provinces or territories might execute procedures at a given time, there is no assurance about these systems falling into place until IRCC’s deadline.
This also means no new study permit application submission to IRCC until March 31, 2024.
Study permit applications
After an international student acquires both an LOA and an attestation letter from their provincial or territorial study or the school, they might apply for a study permit application in Canada.
Additional changes under its international student program
Besides the introduction of attestation letters, the press release information includes different initiatives leading to modifying Canada’s international student program and the policies concerned. For example, IRCC declared a two-year restriction on the number of new study permits acceptable in Canada.
As part of this modification, the IRCC observes that specific provincial and territorial ceilings have been set, balanced by population. According to IRCC, this will lead to significant reductions in the number of international students in provinces that suffered the greatest unsustainable growth.
Per the IRCC, international students undertaking master’s and doctoral degrees, those seeking study permit renewal, and those pursuing primary and secondary education are exempt from this cap.
Furthermore, Canada plans to modify the eligibility requirements for its most desirable Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) Program. This will include the following:
- International students enrolled in study programs that are part of curriculum licensing agreements will not further be eligible for a PGWP after graduation as of September 1, 2024.
- It will shortly become possible for graduates of master’s and other short graduate-level programs to apply for a three-year work permit.
If you still have questions related to the Canadian immigration process, you can access all relevant details through Make Home Canada’s immigration consultants. Write to us at [email protected]
