International student cap creates 'great deal of uncertainty' for Conestoga College

Conestoga College said it's facing an uncertain fall after federal immigration minister Marc Miller announced a two-year nation wide cap on international students starting in September.

Miller said the federal government aims to reduce international student permits by an overall 35 per cent to a limit of around 360,000.

Ontario will face an even larger reduction in permits of about 50 per cent.

Conestoga, which brought in close to 30,000 students from abroad last year and faced criticism for not providing enough housing and other supports, says the timeline to meet that cap is too short.  

"The college is a leader in providing high-quality international student experiences, and we are concerned about what the announcement will mean for students and local employers in the eight communities we serve," Conestoga said in an unattributed statement sent to CambridgeToday. 

"We worry the timelines for such substantive changes are too short to engage in the kind of meaningful consultation we need."

The college added that the abrupt change has caused a "great deal of uncertainty" within the school as the fall 2024 recruitment is already well underway.

Such large changes may affect students already in Ontario, as well as those who have applied or already received offers of admission, it said.

"It’s essential to get this right," reads the statement. "We will actively work with the province to ensure we mitigate the impact on both international and domestic students."

The college is adding a $180 million expansion to its skilled trades campus in Cambridge to offer more programming for international students. 

The move to cap foreign students has been on the horizon for months as Miller warned provinces and schools to get the situation under control back in August. 

It comes in the wake of a recent rule change implemented Jan. 1 that requires incoming international students to prove they have at least $20,000 in their bank accounts to better reflect the actual cost of living in Canada. 

"Housing and food insecurity are two major reasons why this cap was introduced. A cap will help us take stock, identify institutions that are not working in good faith, and determine the best path forward," said Cambridge MP Bryan May in an email to CambridgeToday. 

"It's important that we work with the provinces to ensure this cap is administered fairly and responsibly, as education is within provincial jurisdiction."

Each province and territory will be in charge of administering their share of allotted international student permits to each educational institution. 

The province said it is working with the federal government, colleges and universities to navigate the change. 

"International students play an important role in our communities, providing meaningful benefits to Ontario and our post secondary institutions," said Jill Dunlop, minister of colleges and universities in an emailed response to CambridgeToday.

That said, we know some bad actors are taking advantage of these students with false promises of guaranteed employment, residency, and Canadian citizenship."

She notes that all levels of government need to work together to ensure the students coming to Canada receive an education that is responsive to Ontario’s labour needs, especially in the skilled trades.

May also noted he has had discussions with Conestoga and admits they want to be a part of the solution, but they are going to have to make some changes. 

"The federal government needs to take immediate action to alleviate some of the pressures being put on services across the board. We want students to choose Canada to study, but we have to be sure they can support themselves and that institutions are willing to take on their fair share of the responsibility."