The number of international students increased by 200 per cent between 2013 and 2023, including an uptick of 63 per cent between 2018 and 2023, according to the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE). At the end of 2023, Canada hosted more than one million international students. The sharp rise, however, was not accompanied by a long-term strategy for growth, according to many within the higher education sector.
"There was never really any coordination with governments or cities in how to respond to the subsequent pressure on housing and certain public services," says Alex Usher, president of Higher Education Strategy Associates. "When these problems reared their heads, the government reacted by constraining study permits."
It's a challenge not just for Canada, but across the globe. Australia implemented caps in 2024 and doubled study visa fees to counteract the effect of immigration on the cost of housing. The United Kingdom and the Netherlands are also among the countries tightening their regulations.
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