Are You Considering Relocating to Canada? Government Raises Money International Students Must Be Eligible For Study Permits
New Delhi: Marc Miller, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, said that Ottawa would quadruple the amount of money now needed for international applicants seeking to study in Canada. According to Miller, this action is intended to improve foreign students’ financial readiness and prevent them from being exploited by dubious employers or unable to support themselves while living in Canada. “It’s obvious that some unscrupulous actors have turned their attention toward abusing and exploiting our nation,” he said.
With effect from January 1, 2024, the modifications include a significant rise in the study permit applicants’ cost-of-living financial requirement.
While international students have a great cultural, social, and economic impact on their communities, many have had difficulties adjusting to life in Canada. To better inform foreign students about the real cost of living in this area, we are updating the cost-of-living criteria. The secret to their success in Canada is this metric. We are also looking at ways to guarantee that students have a place to live. Miller said, “These long overdue reforms will shield foreign students from exploitative and financially precarious circumstances.”
Miller also made threats to restrict visas for provinces that refuse to assist in housing students or close down universities that, in his opinion, shouldn’t be in operation. Miller said during a press conference that “there are, in provinces, the diploma equivalent of puppy mills that are just churning out diplomas, and this is not a legitimate student experience.” “There needs to be an end to fraud and abuse.”
The cost-of-living criteria for a single candidate has been at $10,000 since the early 2000s. Nevertheless, the threshold will now be increased to USD 20,635, or 75% of the low-income cut-off (LICO), in reaction to the increasing cost of living. According to the statement, this change is intended to make sure that foreign students are appropriately prepared for the financial challenges of living in Canada. It will be revised yearly with Statistics Canada’s LICO.
The news comes after the International Student Program was reformed on October 27, 2023, and a new framework was introduced to identify educational institutions that provide excellent services and assistance, including accommodation. It further said that educational institutions should only admit as many students as they can sustain.
Modifications to employment regulations
According to Miller, Ottawa is now considering the maximum number of hours that students may work in Canada. He claims that restricting it to 20 hours per week would be “draconian,” but that allowing 40 hours will encourage individuals to go to Canada rather than concentrate on their education.
Migrant Students United, an advocacy organization, requested Ottawa to develop explicit regulations.
According to a statement from national organizer Sarom Rho, “federal immigration policy is a roller-coaster.”
Monthly improvisations and disorganized turns that let abuse and exploitation to go unchecked are not what we need. We’ll keep advocating for fair, consistent laws and universal permanent residence.
According to a news release, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is thinking about launching trial programs for “underrepresented cohorts of international students” who are prevented from studying in Canada by the increased income criteria.
