The federal government is floating ‘capping student visas’ as a new idea to cool the housing crisis… but Québec is having none of it.
What happened: Earlier this week, Immigration Minister Marc Miller confirmed that the federal government is strongly considering a cap on the number of international students Canada accepts. The Québec government responded by saying it would reject such a cap.
- Universities and colleges won’t throw in the towel easily, either. Post-secondary education is a lucrative business with an economic impact of $20 billion a year.
Why it matters: A record 550,150 international student study permits were issued last year, a 75% increase from just five years ago. The growing number of students has flooded cities like Toronto and Vancouver with demand for low-cost housing, driving up rental prices.
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Over half of international study permits issued in 2022 went to students attending colleges, which have outpaced universities as a top destination for those students.
- Housing experts say schools should communicate with governments before upping enrollment to ensure that there’s enough housing stock to absorb all the students.