In recent updates to its immigration framework, Canada has prohibited the automatic transition of study permits into permanent residency for foreign students.
This new statute requires international students to return to their native countries when their study visas in Canada lapse.
Moreover, this signifies the conclusion of transitions from study permits to permanent residency for non-citizens.
The announcement was made public by Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Marc Miller, during an interview on Tuesday.
In that discussion, Miller also disclosed that Canada is discontinuing the Student Direct Stream (SDS) initiative and ‘suspending asylum requests linked to such immigration avenues.
These new regulations come in the wake of recent demonstrations by international students throughout Canada, who called for a more efficient pathway to convert study permits into permanent residency or to extend their duration of stay.
Addressing their requests, the Immigration Minister stated,
When individuals come here and choose to become students, there are no assurances for permanent residency. Some students will face a challenging choice regarding whether to depart the country or not.”
Miller additionally emphasized that work permits must correspond with the labour market demands of Canada, stating that the government won’t grant indiscriminate extensions to all students.
The Minister further indicated that the quotas for permanent residency have been decreased by 20% recently, to aid in stabilizing the system and addressing the long-standing requirements of the nation.
We had to reduce permanent residency by just over 20% to tackle Canada’s aging demographic and workforce shortages while preventing excessive strain on housing and public services,” he clarified.