Immigration Minister Marc Miller is getting ready measures to make sure the federal authorities’s new cap on worldwide scholar visas doesn’t result in a pointy decline within the variety of Francophones finding out in Canada.
Mr Miller introduced the cap earlier this week, saying there could be “no additional improve” within the variety of worldwide college students within the nation over the following two years. This may imply that the variety of new permits issued this 12 months would fall by round 35 p.c in comparison with 2023.
What you must find out about Ottawa’s two-year cap on worldwide scholar visas and different measures
In December, official figures confirmed that simply over 1,000,000 individuals held Canadian scholar visas. Ottawa had not beforehand set a cap, resulting in issues that scholar numbers have impacted housing affordability in some areas.
However the minister’s workplace stated on Thursday that he feared the cap may result in English-speaking provinces focusing on French-speaking establishments, leading to a disproportionate decline within the variety of French-speaking college students in Canada, together with these from African international locations corresponding to Ivory Coast.
One possibility the federal government is contemplating is making a separate visa stream for French-speaking college students.
“We’re on the lookout for mechanisms to reduce the influence on francophone establishments exterior Quebec and on francophones in international locations the place we have already got a low acceptance charge,” stated Aïssa Diop, Mr. Miller’s communications director.
The cap will probably be utilized on a per capita foundation in all provinces and Ontario, which has extra international college students than others, could have to cut back its consumption by about 50 per cent.
Ms. Diop stated provinces, which can resolve learn how to divide their allotted variety of examine permits between establishments, have a task to play in minimizing the influence on francophone universities and schools.
Exterior Quebec in Canada, there are a variety of French-speaking universities, together with the College of Moncton in New Brunswick.
Emmanuel Aito, dean of the College of Regina’s French-language college, La Cité universitaire francophone, stated he wished extra details about the cap’s potential influence on worldwide scholar admissions.
He added that worldwide college students enrich the tutorial and cultural lifetime of La Cité. and that he hopes to make sure they proceed to have a spot within the establishment.
Claire Francoeur, communications director on the Université de l’Ontario français in Toronto, the place there may be a fair break up between worldwide college students and French-speaking Canadian college students, stated the college hopes French-speaking college students aren’t disproportionately affected by the coverage change.
“We hope that the Francophone group will probably be revered on this,” she stated.
Universities in Ontario are accusing Ottawa of making “chaos” for worldwide college students with the brand new cap
The cap is the most recent in a collection of reforms geared toward limiting the circulate of worldwide college students and curbing the abuse of examine permits.
In December, Mr. Miller introduced that worldwide college students wanting to come back to Canada must show they’ve greater than $20,000 along with tuition and journey funds to qualify for a examine allow – greater than double that quantity as at the moment required. The rise doesn’t apply to Quebec, which has its personal threshold that’s commonly elevated.
The Quebec authorities is placing stress on Ottawa to do extra to guard the French-speaking inhabitants.
At a information convention Thursday, Quebec Premier Francois Legault stated he wish to see a discount within the inflow of refugees into the province. This consists of English audio system and different non-Francophones.
He wrote to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier this week urging him to take robust motion. He stated that regardless of the closure of the Roxham Highway border crossing with the US, an growing variety of asylum seekers have been arriving at airports.
Mr. Legault stated the variety of refugees was placing stress on housing, well being care and schooling within the province.