Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government is introducing new measures to tighten standards on colleges, responding to criticism that Canada’s education sector is bringing in so many foreign students that it’s boosting pressure on housing and the labor market.
According to Bloomberg, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced a framework on Friday that will push universities and colleges to set a higher standard for services, support and outcomes for international students, starting in time for the fall 2024 semester.
Schools that meet the higher benchmark will get priority for the processing of student visas, Miller said, and adequate housing will be one of the criteria.
Institutions also will be required to confirm every applicant’s acceptance letter directly with the Canadian government starting December 1, he said.
He explained that the process was designed to tackle fraud, following revelations that hundreds of Indian newcomers unknowingly arrived in Canada with fake college admissions letters.
In the coming months, Miller’s department will also review the post-graduate work permit program and introduce reforms to ensure it meets the needs of the labor market.
The plan comes amid growing concern that Canadian educational institutions rely too much on international students as a source of funding, Bloomberg said.
Foreign students are charged an average of five times as much as Canadian students, and colleges catering to foreigners have popped up in strip malls and temporary buildings, most notably in the Toronto suburb of Brampton, Ontario where Miller made his announcement on Friday.
“We know that there has been consistent underfunding of post-secondary education, particularly by provinces, depending on the province, over the years – and institutions are smart and have adapted to that,” Miller said at a news conference.
“That has gone through at times opportunistic fees that have been charged to international students to close a gap that is really an unnatural one and shouldn’t be the case in a country like Canada.”
-Advertisement-
Grab our latest Magazine, "Chief Wole Olanipekun, CFR, SAN, A man of wide horizons and deep intentions". Get your order fast and stress free.
For more details about Newswire Law&Events Magazine, kindly reach out to us on 08039218044, 09070309355. Email: newswiremagazine@yahoo.co.uk. You will be glad you did
