Canada Student Visa Policy updates: New Financial Requirements for International Students in Canada and Post Graduate Work Permit Eligibility for students in Canada
The Canadian Immigration Ministry has implemented new student visa regulations and elevated the minimum financial prerequisites for international students in Canada starting 2024.
Change 1: GIC amount increased to CAD $ 20635 per year under SDS and Non SDS category of visas
Effective from January 1, 2024, study permit applicants are required to prove their financial capability by demonstrating access to CAD $20,635, an increase from the previous requirement of CAD $10,000. This adjustment aims to ensure that international students are better equipped to handle the cost of living in Canada, reflecting a commitment to the financial preparedness of students for their stay.
The steeper financial requirement is designed to remedy a trend in which some students arrive in Canada believing they have enough money to support themselves given that they have met the $10,000 threshold - only to find that they do not. In those cases, students can be more vulnerable to shady landlords and exploitative employers as they struggle to make ends meet. The new amount (CDN$20,635) represents 75% of the low-income cut-off in Canada, known as LICO. Economists have determined that LICO “represents the minimum income necessary to ensure that an individual does not have to spend a greater than average portion of income on necessities.”
This is the first time in ten years that the amount of savings required for study permits has been raised. We can expect the savings threshold to change more frequently going forward as the government says it will keep adjusting the amount according to Statistics Canada’s updates to the LICO.
Change 2: Canada has introduced new regulations for post-study work permits, effective from February 15th and September 1, 2024. These changes include:
-> In particular, starting in September 2024, international students who begin a study program that is part of a curriculum licensing agreement will no longer be eligible for a PGWP after graduating. Under curriculum licensing agreements, students attend a private college that has been licensed to deliver the curriculum associated with a public college. Also known as PPP - Public Private Partnership. Put differently, if a public college has established licensing agreements with a private college, and a student is enrolled in the private college; they will not be eligible for a PGWP.
-> Example of Private colleges that comes under PPP categories are:
| Niagara College, Toronto |
Cambrian College, Hanson Campus |
| Fleming College, Toronto |
Portage College, Edmonton & Calgary |
| Fanshawe College, Toronto |
Lambton College, Toronto & Mississauga |
| Northern College @Pures, Toronto |
Sheridan College, Fort Erie |
| Georgian College, Toronto |
Candore College, All Campus, Ontario |
| Loyalist College, Toronto |
Mohawk College, Mississauga |
| Sault College, Toronto |
Algonquin College, Mississauga |
| St Clair College, Toronto |
St Lawrence College, Alpha, Ontario |
However International students currently enrolled will remain eligible for a PGWP if they meet other program eligibility criteria.
Also, it is to note that graduates of programs that are at least two years in length at PGWP-eligible designated learning institutions are eligible for a 3-year PGWP, as are graduates of master’s degree programs less than 2 years in length.
- Starting on February 15, 2024, a longer, 3-year post-graduation work permit will be available to those who are graduating from a master’s degree program that is less than 2 years and who meet all other PGWP eligibility criteria.
- The length of PGWP for programs other than master’s degrees will continue to align with the length of the study program, to a maximum of 3 years.
Change 3: Cap on New Study visas and Provincial Attestation Letter Requirement
There is a 35% reduction in the allocation of new study visas for the year 2024 and 2025. This cap (quota) is projected to lead to the approval of 364,000 new permits during two years.. To implement regulations of this cap, starting January 22, 2024, most new international students pursuing certificate / diploma / undergraduate degree / post graduate diploma or advance diploma studies in Canada must include a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) from a province or territory with their study permit application. This letter is essential and acts as proof that the student has been counted within the national cap for international students. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will return any application received that does not include a PAL, unless otherwise exempt. Provinces and territories have been asked to have a plan in place for issuing PAL.
Requirement for Provincial Attestation Letter applies to:
- most post-secondary study permit applicants.
- non-degree granting graduate programs (e.g., certificate programs, graduate diplomas, UG degree).
Exemptions from Provincial Attestation Letter Requirement:
- Primary and secondary school students.
- Master’s or doctoral degree students.
- Visiting or exchange students.
- In-Canada study permit and work permit holders (includes study permit holders applying for an extension).
- In-Canada family members of study permit or work permit holders.
- Students whose applications were received before 8:30 a.m. ET on January 22, 2024.
Change 4: Open work permit eligibility for spouses
In the coming weeks, eligibility for open work permits for the spouses and common-law partners of international students will be updated.
Who can get an open work permit?
- Only spouses and common-law partners of students in graduate and professional degree programs can get an open work permit.
- Spouses and partners of international students who already have an open work permit can still apply to extend it once these changes are effective.
Who will not be eligible for an open work permit?
Spouses and partners of international students in lower-level programs like undergraduate or diplomas won't qualify for an open work permit, unless they already have one.
These changes demonstrate Canada's ongoing efforts to balance the growth of its international student population with the quality of its educational institutions and the needs of its labor market. By tailoring post-study work opportunities to align with the level of study and the nature of educational institutions, Canada aims to enhance the overall value and effectiveness of its immigration pathways for international students, ensuring that they are well-positioned to contribute to the country's socio-economic development.
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