On December 7, 2023, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship unveiled several additional adjustments to the International Student Program aimed at safeguarding international students and preventing their exploitation.
Initially, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (“IRCC”) recognized that the minimum cost-of-living financial requirement for study permit applicants had not been revised since it was established at $10,000 in the early 2000s. Consequently, it failed to reflect the actual cost of living in Canada for international students. Effective January 1, 2024, study permit applicants must demonstrate access to financial resources beyond their first-year tuition and travel costs to cover adequate housing and other living expenses in Canada. Going forward, the threshold will be annually increased based on updates to the low-income cut-off (“LICO”), determined by Statistics Canada, representing the minimum income required to avoid spending more than the average portion on necessities. As of January 1, 2024, the cost-of-living financial requirement for study permit applicants will rise to $20,635, representing 75% of the current low-income cut-off (“LICO”).
The Minister also provided updates on three (3) temporary public policies affecting international students, originally set to expire in 2023.
The waiver on the limitation of international students working only up to 20 hours a week during class sessions will be extended until April 30, 2024. Consequently, international students in Canada and applicants who applied for a study permit before December 7, 2023, can work more than 20 hours per week off-campus during this period. IRCC is exploring options for the future, including potentially expanding off-campus work hours to 30 hours a week during the school year.
The provision allowing international students to count online study time towards the length of a future post-graduate work permit, as long as it comprises less than 50% of the program, will continue until September 1, 2024. However, this measure will no longer apply to students commencing their studies on or after that date, as the facilitative measure was initially implemented in response to COVID-19 restrictions, and most students have returned to in-person studies.
Lastly, the temporary policy granting an additional 18-month work permit for post-graduation work permit holders will not be further extended. Individuals with a post-graduation work permit expiring up to December 31, 2023, remain eligible to apply.
If you are a student or employer with international students and have inquiries about these changes, please feel free to contact us.