Want to study in Canada? Know about the recent updates for international students
Over the last month or so, Canada has made many changes to its International Student Program, which impacts the futures of those who want to come here to study. This article contains some of the latest updates for international students coming to Canada.
With so many people from overseas looking at Canada as a destination to study, and then settle once they’ve finished their academics, we hope this article provides you with clarity over the upgraded eligibility criteria for international students, information about study permits and work hours as well as the conditions you need to apply for a post-graduate work permit (PGWP).
New study permits needed when changing institutions
International students coming to Canada who plan to study two or more courses at different colleges/universities need to be approved for and apply for, a new study permit before changing institutions.
Only students who graduate from Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) are allowed to apply for post-graduate work permits. To prevent misuse of the DLI program, institutions that fail to supply compliance reports or verify acceptance letters could be suspended from enrolling international students for up to a year.
It will take Quebec and the federal government some time to set up this reporting system for Quebec DLIs. As such, Quebec DLIs have a grace period before they are required to comply with the compliance reporting requirement.
Extended working hours now available
With many international students coming to Canada actively searching for off-campus roles to support themselves and gain work experience, the federal government has said that international students can now work up to 24 hours per week off campus, while their classes are in session.
To work off campus without a work permit, international students must be studying full-time in a post-secondary academic, vocational or professional training program, or a vocational training program at the secondary level offered in Quebec, that lasts at least six months and leads to a degree, diploma or certificate.
End of the Student Direct Stream (SDS)
The closure of the Student Direct Stream is among the latest updates for international students coming to Canada.
Launched in 2018 to provide faster processing for eligible post-secondary students, the stream was opened to residents from Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vietnam.
Students who were previously eligible to apply under the SDS will now need to apply for a regular study permit, after the stream was closed on Friday, November 8, 2024. The Nigeria Student Express (NSE), which offered similar provisions to applicants from Nigeria, has also been closed.
Students who were eligible under the SDS had to prepay their tuition fees in full, as well as submit the necessary documents needed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Student visa applications submitted under the SDS and NSE programs before the cutoff date will still be processed…those filed after will not be honoured.
Also read: Canada lowers immigration targets in its 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan
Updated PGWP requirements
If you wish to apply for a post-graduate work permit, then you need to check whether you meet the eligibility criteria issued by IRCC.
If you have applied for your study permit after Nov. 1, 2024, then you need to check the updates for international students coming to Canada regarding how your field of study affects your PWGP eligibility.
If you have enrolled in a course at a college, your field of study needs to be in agriculture and agri-food; healthcare; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); trade; and/or transportation. University students are unaffected by this change.
However, whether you’ve graduated from a college or university, and are applying for a study permit, you need to prove your English or French language capabilities once again. University students need to attain a minimum of CLB 7, while college graduates must achieve CLB 5 or higher. Explore Canada’s detailed eligibility requirements for PGWPs.
Also read: Further cuts announced to Canada’s temporary immigration programs
Francophone students’ program and eligible DLIs
To encourage more Francophone migration to regions in Canada outside Quebec, Canada recently launched its Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot (FMCSP). Read more about the eligibility criteria for this program.
As part of updates for international students coming to Canada under this stream, 12 Designated Learning Institutions have been included under the pilot program:
- Collège Communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick – New Brunswick (multiple campuses)
- Collège Educacentre – Surrey, British Columbia
- Collège la Cité – Ottawa, Ontario
- Collège Mathieu – Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan
- Université Laurentienne – Sudbury, Ontario
- Université de Hearst – Hearst, Ontario
- Université de Moncton – New Brunswick (multiple campuses)
- Université de l’Ontario français – Toronto, Ontario
- University of Alberta – Edmonton, Alberta
- University of Ottawa – Ottawa, Ontario
- University of Regina – Regina, Saskatchewan
- York University – Toronto, Ontario
Check the list of DLIs, as well as the money needed for you to be eligible for the FMCSP.
Share this information with someone who is planning to move to Canada as an international student.
