Canada has long promoted its international education system as a model that benefits international students, domestic learners, and the country as a whole. However, Canada’s international student system is in transition. In recent years, post-secondary international student numbers have surged, leading to challenges in the post-secondary sector and adverse effects on students. In response, the federal government has introduced a series of policy reforms aimed at curbing the country’s rapid growth in international student enrollment.
Despite their intentions, these reforms have also introduced new and serious difficulties. Many current international students now face heightened uncertainty and the risk of losing their immigration status. This is in addition to the systemic issues international students have faced for years which the reforms do not address—unethical recruitment practices, high tuition fees, and limited access to support services.
This policy brief outlines the urgent need for targeted measures to protect students who arrived before the reforms were announced, strengthen accountability across the sector, and provide actionable recommendations for federal and provincial governments as well as post-secondary institutions.
