New Announcements for International Students by IRCC in Details.

The most anticipated announcements for international students, as we reported on December 1, 2023, regarding the full-time work policy for students in Canada as well as the Post-Graduation Work Permit—PGWP Extension 2024 policy, were made today by Immigration Minister Marc Miller for both prospective study permit applicants and foreign students already residing in Canada.

Updates from the IRCC for International Students:

1. There will be no PGWP extension in 2024;

A temporary program to grant post-graduation work permit holders an additional 18-month work permit once their initial work permit expired was enacted three times in response to labor market challenges during the pandemic and the post-pandemic recovery.

This policy will not be continued in future. Under the PGWP extension 2023 policy, foreign nationals with post-graduation employment permits that expire before December 31, 2023, may still apply for an extension.

2. There will be a probable cap on the number of international students arriving after fall of 2024;

The minister also declared that they anticipate that educational establishments will only take as many students as they can accommodate, including accommodation.

this indicates that there will be cap in future for incoming foreign students.

3. The full-time work policy for international students will be extended;

As of December 7, 2023, international students who are already in Canada and those who have already applied for a study permit will be allowed to work more than 20 hours per week off campus.

This extension of the exemption from the 20-hour-per-week cap on the number of hours overseas students may work off campus while classes are in session will last until April 30, 2024.

4. Distance learning measures will be extended;

The provision that permits international students to apply time spent studying online toward the duration of a future post-graduation work permit provided that the time spent studying online accounts for less than 50% of the program of study will remain in effect for students who start their study program before September 1, 2024. Students who start their study program on or after that date will not be subject to this provision.

5. Financial requirements for upcoming study permit applicants is doubled.

In order to guarantee that international students are financially prepared for life in Canada, the minister announced that the cost-of-living financial criterion for study permit applicants will be doubled starting January 1, 2024.

Currently, study permit applicants must demonstrate their cost-of-living primarily with a $10,000 GIC (Guaranteed Investment Certificate).

This requirement will now be more than doubled to $20,635, effective for any new study permit applicants after January 1, 2024.