加拿大宣布4大留学生新政：2项收紧+1项放宽 上课工作都受影响
2023年12月07日 加拿大留学生问吧作者：51.CA 伍沐
就在刚刚！加拿大移民部官宣了4个涉及留学生的新政策，涉及申请学签、网课、学签工作时限，以及毕业工签延长政策。
移民、难民和公民部长马克·米勒（Marc Miller）今天宣布，从2024年1月1日起，学习许可申请人的生活费用要求将提高，以便国际学生为在加拿大的生活做好经济准备。
2024年开始，申请人需要证明除了拥有第一年的学费之外，他们还有需要有$20,635元的存款，相当于加拿大统计局每年更新低收入标准（LICO）的75%。
此更改将适用于2024年1月1日或之后收到的新学习许可申请。
自2000年代初以来，学习许可申请人的生活费要求一直没有变化，当时单个申请人的生活费要求为$10,000元。因此，随着时间的推移，目前的要求无法满足生活成本，导致学生到达加拿大后才发现他们的资金不够。
同时，米勒部长还提供了影响已经在加拿大的留学生的3项政策的更新情况，这些政策均将于2023年底到期，其中包括：
留学生在上课期间可在校外工作的每周小时数限制的豁免将延长至2024年4月30日。已经在加拿大的留学生以及在2023年12月7日前提交了学习许可申请的人，在此之前每周可以在校外工作20小时以上。未来我们将继续研究这项政策的选择，例如也许将国际留学生在上课期间的校外工作时间永久延长至每周30小时。
现在，移民部允许国际留学生将在线学习时间计入未来申请毕业工作许可证的学习总时间，只要在线学习时间占总学习时间的50%以下。该措施将继续适用于以下学生：在2024年9月1日之前开始学习的。此措施将不再适用于在该日期或之后开始学习的学生。在线学习便利政策于2020年首次实施，并于2022年9月缩小了范围。目前，绝大多数国际学生都在加拿大线下学习。
针对疫情后恢复期间劳动力市场混乱的情况，加拿大先后3次出台临时政策，为毕业工作许可证持有者在即将到期时提供额外18个月的工签。目前，如果毕业工作许可在2023年12月31日及以前到期的持有人仍有资格申请。不过，这一临时政策不会进一步延长。
今天的公告是在2023年10月27日宣布对国际留学生计划进行重要改革之后发布的。该改革涉及制定一个新框架，以表彰为国际学生提供优质服务和支持的学习机构。
加拿大政府希望学习机构接受他们能够提容纳的学生数量，而不是超量接收大量学生。
在欢迎国际留学生时，加拿大政府表示自己有责任确保学生来到我们国家时得到支持。在2024年9月学期之前，联邦政府需要限制签证数量，以确保指定的学习机构有能力为学生提供足够的支持。
加拿大政府表示：“我们必须解决使一些国际留学生处于弱势并面临挑战的问题。随着生活费用要求提高，抵达加拿大的学生在开始学习时将拥有更强大的经济基础。”
最新的政策对你有影响吗？欢迎留言交流啊！
Minister Miller to provide update on the International Students Program
Media advisory
Ottawa, December 7, 2023—The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, will hold a media scrum to provide an update on the International Students Program.
Date:
Thursday, December 7, 2023
Time:
1:30 p.m. ET
Location:
Wellington Street, West Block
Room 135-B
Ottawa, Ontario
Notes for media:
- Media attending the event in person are asked to arrive no later than 1:15 p.m. ET.
- Members of the parliamentary press gallery will be able to access the event.
- Accredited media who are not members of the parliamentary press gallery may apply for a temporary pass.
For more information (media only):
Bahoz Dara Aziz
Minister’s Office
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Bahoz.DaraAziz@cic.gc.ca
Media Relations
Communications Sector
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-952-1650
media@cic.gc.ca
Revised requirements to better protect international students
News release
December 7, 2023—Ottawa—Canada is a top destination for international students, thanks to our high-quality educational institutions; our welcoming, diverse society; and the opportunities for some to work or immigrate permanently after graduation. While international students have contributed to life on campuses and innovation across the country, they have also experienced some serious challenges, such as finding adequate housing, as they pursue their studies in Canada.
The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced today that starting January 1, 2024, the cost-of-living financial requirement for study permit applicants will be raised so that international students are financially prepared for life in Canada. Moving forward, this threshold will be adjusted each year when Statistics Canada updates the low-income cut-off (LICO). 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.
The cost-of-living requirement for study permit applicants has not changed since the early 2000s, when it was set at $10,000 for a single applicant. As such, the financial requirement hasn’t kept up with the cost of living over time, resulting in students arriving in Canada only to learn that their funds aren’t adequate. For 2024, a single applicant will need to show they have $20,635, representing 75% of LICO, in addition to their first year of tuition and travel costs. This change will apply to new study permit applications received on or after January 1, 2024.
While this will help prevent student vulnerability and exploitation, we recognize that the impact of the change could vary depending on the applicant. Next year, in collaboration with partners, we intend to implement targeted pilots that will test new ideas aimed at helping underrepresented cohorts of international students pursue their studies in Canada.
Today’s announcement follows important reforms to the International Student Program announced on October 27, 2023, regarding the development of a new framework to recognize learning institutions that provide top-quality services and support, including housing, to international students. We expect learning institutions to only accept the number of students that they can provide adequate supports for, including housing options.
In welcoming international students, we have a responsibility to make sure that students are supported when they come to our country. Ahead of the September 2024 semester, we are prepared to take necessary measures, including limiting visas, to ensure that designated learning institutions provide adequate and sufficient student supports as part of the academic experience. In order to achieve this result, it is imperative to work together with provincial and territorial governments, learning institutions and other education stakeholders, so we can ensure international students are set up for success in Canada.
Minister Miller also provided an update on 3 temporary policies affecting international students that were all set to expire at the end of 2023, including the following:
- The waiver on the 20-hour-per-week limit on the number of hours international students are allowed to work off campus while class is in session will be extended to April 30, 2024. International students already in Canada, as well as applicants who have already submitted an application for a study permit as of December 7, 2023, will be able to work off campus more than 20 hours per week until that time. We continue to examine options for this policy in the future, such as expanding off-campus work hours for international students to 30 hours per week while class is in session.
- The facilitative measure that has allowed international students to count time spent studying online towards the length of a future post-graduation work permit, as long as it constitutes less than 50% of the program of study, will continue to be in place for students who begin a study program before September 1, 2024. This measure will no longer apply to students who begin a study program on or after that date. Distance learning facilitation measures were first implemented in 2020 in response to travel restrictions during the pandemic, and were reduced in scope in September 2022. At this point, the vast majority of international students are studying in person in Canada.
- In response to labour market disruptions during the pandemic and post-pandemic recovery, a temporary policy was introduced on 3 occasions to provide an additional 18-month work permit to post-graduation work permit holders as their initial work permit was expiring. Foreign nationals with a post-graduation work permit expiring up to December 31, 2023, remain eligible to apply. However, this temporary policy will not be extended further.
We value the significant social, cultural and economic benefits that international students bring to Canada, and for those benefits to continue, we must tackle issues that have made some students vulnerable and have challenged the integrity of the International Student Program. With the long-overdue increase to the cost-of-living threshold, students arriving in Canada will be on a stronger financial footing as they begin their studies.
Quotes
“International students provide significant cultural, social and economic benefits to their communities, but they have also faced challenges navigating life in Canada. We are revising the cost-of-living threshold so that international students understand the true cost of living here. This measure is key to their success in Canada. We are also exploring options to ensure that students find adequate housing. These long-overdue changes will protect international students from financially vulnerable situations and exploitation.”
– The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Quick facts
-
International education accounts for more than $22 billion in economic activity annually, greater than Canada’s exports of auto parts, lumber or aircraft, and supports more than 200,000 jobs in Canada.
-
Quebec establishes its own cost-of-living threshold for international students destined for Quebec’s learning institutions and has continued to raise this threshold periodically.
-
The new financial guidelines are also being applied to the Student Direct Stream, a special study permit application process available to residents of 14 countries that requires additional up-front information from the applicant and provides priority processing.
Associated links
Contacts
Contacts for media only:
Bahoz Dara Aziz
Press Secretary
Minister’s Office
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Bahoz.DaraAziz@cic.gc.ca
Media Relations
Public Affairs and Strategic Communications Branch
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-952-1650
media@cic.gc.ca
