The Government of Ontario, a province in Canada has said that its allocation of international study permits will prioritise postsecondary educational programs at public institutions.
This was stated in a news release by Ontario’s news agency.
WE learn that the aim of this is to better equip graduates for high-demand jobs that align with Ontario’s labour market requirements.
This means that career colleges, which are usually probate schools, will not get any study permit applications from international students.
The announcement follows a decision by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) earlier this year to impose a limit on the issuance of study permits to international students* nationwide for the years 2024 and 2025.
This restriction by IRCC primarily targets undergraduate international students. Notably, IRCC’s limit does not apply to international students enrolled in primary and secondary schools, as well as those pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees.
According to Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities. “We are protecting the integrity of our province’s postsecondary education system by attracting the best and brightest international students to Ontario to study in areas that are critical to our economy”
“We have been working with postsecondary institutions to ensure international students are enrolled in the programs to support a pipeline of graduates for the in-demand jobs”
The changes also indicate that 96% of all study permits for international students will be given to public universities and colleges in Ontario. The rest will be spread among language schools, private universities, and other institutions in the province.
This distribution excludes career colleges, typically private institutions, from receiving any international student study permit applications.
According to the release, Ontario’s provincial government has opted to prioritize programs in several “high-demand areas,” including skilled trades, health human resources, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), hospitality, and childcare.
Additionally, Ontario will prioritize French-language enrollment, citing its importance in meeting employer demand for workers with French-language skills.
The press release also outlined the following details about Ontario’s study permit allocation in 2024:
The ratio of international permits cannot exceed 55% (excluding high-demand areas) of an institution’s 2023 first-year domestic enrollment.
All public Ontario universities except Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie will maintain applications at 2023 levels.
