Canada
Canada reduces admission slots for Nigerian students, others
Canada has announced plans to introduce a national cap to reduce the number of overseas students admitted to the country.
However, Miller said the financial requirement hasn’t kept up with the cost of living over time, resulting in students arriving in Canada only to learn that their funds aren’t adequate.
The Liberals have set targets for bringing in 485,000 immigrants this year and 500,000 in 2025 and 2026.
“We need to be doing our jobs and making sure that we have a system that actually makes sure people have the financial capability to come to Canada and that we’re actually verifying offer letters,” Miller said.
“And now it’s time for us to have a conversation about volumes and the impact that that is having in certain areas.”
Miller explained that a cap on international students would not be a “one-size-fits-all solution” to Canada’s housing difficulties.
When questioned further on the fact that the number of international students coming to Canada greatly outstrips the number of homes the federal government has declared it intends to assist in developing, Miller also stated that housing is simply one factor in determining immigration targets. “The pressing need to bring down the average age of the workforce also needs to be taken into consideration,” he went on to say.
Despite refusing to give specifics, Miller said a cap on international students is something the federal government is considering “and will continue to consider.”
“We have a sense of what those numbers would look like and what the reduction of those numbers would look like; out of courtesy to my colleagues in the provinces, those are discussions that we’re first going to have around the negotiating table,” he said, adding that the financial needs of academic institutions are also a factor.