Changes to federal regulations affecting international students are met with mixed reactions

New federal requirements for international students are drawing both praise and criticism from student representatives.

Last Thursday, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller raised income requirements for international students and also extended the exemption until April 2024, allowing them to work more than 20 hours a week while studying in Canada.

Starting next year, prospective students will have to demonstrate that they have access to $20,635 after paying for travel and tuition, instead of the previously required $10,000.

Miller said doubling financial requirements before coming to Canada is intended to help students deal with the effects of inflation, including higher food and rent costs.

Damanpreet Singh is the former president of the Cape Breton University Student Union. He is currently the international student representative for the Canadian Federation of Students.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Marc Miller said the higher savings requirement will help international students cope with rising prices in Canada. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

He said higher funding requirements to obtain a student visa are reasonable. Most students understand that to survive in Canada, they need more money than the $10,000 they have needed over the last two decades.

“Everything is going up, so this will also help them mentally prepare,” Singh said. “Now they will be mentally prepared to come to Canada.”

He said allowing students to work more than 20 hours a week, and up to 40 hours if necessary, would benefit students who struggle with higher tuition, grocery prices and rent.

“It is an individual choice,” Singh said. “We cannot blame or expect any student to only work 20 hours. If they want to work more than 20 hours, they have the right to do so.”

Damanpreet Singh is an international student representative for the Canadian Federation of Students and former president of the Cape Breton University Student Union. (University of Cape Breton)

Other student groups say problems such as housing shortages are unfairly placed on international students.

“Financial requirements ultimately mean that fewer international students will be eligible to study across the country at all, which will create a burden and barrier for people accessing post-secondary education in this country,” said Mitra Yakubi, president of the Canadian Federation of Students in Ontario.

Yakubi said international students deserve better.

“If we’re going to talk about, you know, food insecurity, the housing crisis and its impact on international students, then the real question should be how do we support international students,” she said.

The minister criticizes “puppy mills” for diplomas

Yakubi said the high tuition fees students pay, sometimes four to five times higher than domestic students, are already exploiting them.

Miller also used the announcement to criticize some post-secondary institutions, which he likened to “puppy mills” because they issue degrees without educating students.

They consistently wondered how they could scapegoat the situation and place the blame on international students,” she said.

“There are diploma equivalents of puppy mills in the provinces that just produce diplomas, but it’s not a legitimate student experience,” Miller said at a news conference.

“We are dealing with fraud and abuse that must be put to an end.”

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