Quebec universities rejected the federal housing minister’s suggestion to cap international study permits to ease the housing shortage. They argue that the cap would not solve the crisis and negatively affect university research and skilled immigrant access. Some parties have even suggested that the housing shortage is unrelated to international students. In 2022, Canada issued more than 540,000 new international study permits, up 24% from 2021. The number of study permit holders in Canada has increased steadily since the mid-2000s, from a little over 200,000 in 2009 to 638,300 in 2019.
