On January 22, 2024, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Marc Miller, announced a two-year cap on international student permit applications to stabilize growth. For 2024, the cap will result in around 360,000 approved permits, a 35% decrease from 2023. These measures do not apply to master’s, doctoral, elementary, and secondary education students and current permit holders. Changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program will start from September 1, 2024, affecting students’ curriculum licensing arrangements. Graduates of master’s and other short graduate programs will be eligible for a 3-year work permit. Open work permits will only be available to spouses of master’s and doctoral students.
