Expect fewer international students in wake of raised income requirements, advocate says

An international student at Memorial University in St. John's says federal changes to the amount of required income for international students will provide transparency on what is needed to live in Canada but will also likely reduce the number of students who choose to study in the country. 

Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced new rules Thursday that will increase the amount of money that prospective international students will need to study in Canada.

As a way to cut down on fraudulent applications, Miller said, students will need to show they have access to $20,635 instead of $10,000.

Jawad Chowdhury, executive director of campaigns for Memorial University's student union, said the move is a big step toward being open and transparent with students looking to study in Canada, but cautioned that many cannot afford the more than $80,000 that a four-year program would require.

"We're no longer promising students something that they can afford [when they actually] can't afford housing and, you know, groceries and all the necessities that you need," Chowdhury said.

"But on the flip side, I also think it's going to significantly reduce the amount of international students coming into Canada."

Chowdhury said he has seen rental charges for some properties in the St. John's area nearly triple since he came to the city around 2018. Tuition has also increased in recent years, fuelled by a $68.4-million budget cut to Memorial by the Newfoundland and Labrador government. As a consequence, fees for international students have increased. 

Ottawa also announced it is winding down a policy that lengthened the time that graduating international students could work in Canada without an employment visa.

A cap of 20 work hours per week for studying international students is set to come back into effect in the new year.

Miller said the federal government is reviewing the 20-hour figure but suggested that keeping the cap at 40 hours may keep students from focusing on their studies.

Chowdhury said he'd like to see international students retain the ability to work full-time hours, as it is often required to keep students in Canada.

"A lot of international students over the past year have gotten managerial positions, have gotten supervisor positions that require them to stay … permanent and full time," he said.

"We don't want international students losing those positions because there's a reduction in their work hours."

Meanwhile, a recruiter based in N.L. who often works with international students says Miller's announcement cannot be the only action taken to address Canada's labour needs.