A recent announcement by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in the Canadian Gazette has garnered attention due to proposed changes to Canada’s international student program.
Among the proposed changes, IRCC suggests that international students wishing to change their Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in Canada must apply for a new study permit. DLIs are the only schools in Canada authorized to accept international students and must adhere to IRCC regulations.
Currently, DLIs operate under provincial jurisdiction and are subject to provincial regulations. The federal government lacks a mechanism to ensure that individual institutions comply with new admissions regulations.
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What is IRCC Proposing for International Students Looking to Change Schools in Canada?
According to the announcement, IRCC proposes that:
- Students who wish to switch DLIs must submit a new study permit application before the start date of the new program.
- Students can attend the new DLI without a valid study permit until a decision is made on the application, provided they remain in Canada and comply with all other conditions of their current study permit.
How Might This Impact International Students in Canada?
IRCC’s proposal includes an impact assessment outlining the costs and benefits to different stakeholders affected by the policy. The impacts on both international students and DLIs are notable.
For international students, there is a financial cost of $150 per new application and a time investment of 30 to 45 minutes per application preparation. The total cost is estimated at $55.5 million Present Value (PV) over ten years. Additionally, processing times may increase due to the influx of applications, though IRCC plans to mitigate this by reallocating resources. The administrative burden and uncertainty associated with the new requirement could disrupt students’ academic plans.
On the other hand, DLIs will face compliance and administrative costs related to verifying Letters of Acceptance (LOAs)—a key part of the new study permit application process. The total estimated cost is $4.8 million PV over ten years. Initially, LOA verification is expected to take three minutes per application, decreasing to 30 seconds as institutions become familiar with the process.
Will These Changes Be Adopted?
While it is uncertain whether IRCC will implement the proposed changes or to what extent they will be adopted, history provides some indication of potential outcomes.
The proposed changes around the new study permit requirement are currently in a 30-day consultation phase. Since fall 2022, IRCC has consulted on several policies aimed at improving the International Student Program. These consultations included provincial and territorial ministries responsible for immigration and education, national education associations, individual DLIs, and student representative organizations. Many policies previously in consultation have since been adopted.
For instance, one policy focus was the LOA verification process itself. Provincial and territorial representatives and national education associations provided feedback on the success of current ministerial instructions requiring LOA verification and suggested further leveraging this process to share information and reduce fraud. These changes were adopted on December 1, 2023.
The current changes to study permit requirements will be in consultation until July 29, 2024, after which IRCC will consider feedback and decide on the next policy steps accordingly.
