Over 980,000 Canadian study permits were issued to foreign students in 2023, according to recently released records.
The information was released by the Department of Immigration in response to a request by Conservative MP Garnett Genuis, who inquired how many students were studying at each institution in Canada, as first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.
“The department can track the number of study permits issued that are destined to a designated learning institution as specified in the application,” cabinet wrote in an Inquiry of Ministry tabled in the Commons. “But it does not currently have the capability to track in which institution students are actually studying.”
In total, 982,880 permits were handed out to foreign students in 2023, the report said, with the most being issued to Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ont. The college has almost 41,000 foreign students, which is the largest number of any Canadian postsecondary institution.
Conestoga said that the federal government did not consult with Ontario colleges before it decided to put a cap on the number of international students.
“Diversity is our strength and we value the cultural and social impact our students make across our campuses and in the eight communities we serve.”
- 40,565 at Conestoga College
- 31,380 at the University of Toronto
- 23,530 at Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology
- 22,375 at University Canada West
- 20,415 at the University of British Columbia
- 20,370 at Centennial College
- 18,195 at Lambton College
- 17,015 at Fanshawe College
- 14,605 at Humber College Institute
- 14,295 at York University
- 13,415 at Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
- 12,220 at Algoma University
- 12,780 at George Brown College
- 11,885 at Niagara College Canada at Toronto School of Management
- 11,325 at University of Ottawa
- 11,260 at St Clair College
- 10,650 at McGill University
- 10,065 at Concordia University
- 9,565 at Northern College
- 9,450 at Cambrian College of Applied Arts and Technology
- 9,450 at the University of Waterloo
- 9,265 at University of Alberta
- 9,190 at Canadore College of Applied Arts and Technology
- 8,655 at Cape Breton University
- 8,590 at the University of Manitoba
- 8,565 at Algonquin College of Applied Learning and Technology
- 8,320 at Kwantlen Polytechnic University
- 8,190 at St Lawrence College
- 7,800 at Université de Montréal
- 7,655 at Georgian College
- 7,630 at the University of Windsor
- 7,535 at the University of Calgary
- 7,500 at Langara College
- 7,145 at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
- 7,115 at McMaster University
- 6,950 at Simon Fraser University
- 6,850 at Université Laval
- 6,270 at Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology
- 5,645 at Alexander College
- 5,460 at Memorial University
- 5,620 at Thompson Rivers University
- 5,425 at the University of Regina
- 5,310 at Dalhousie University
- 5,180 at Durham College of Applied Arts and Technology
- 5,125 at Toronto Metropolitan University (Ryerson)
- 5,005 at the University of Victoria
“It’s a bit of a mess,” he said of the student visa system. “It’s time to rein it in.”
“In welcoming international students, we have a responsibility to make sure that students are supported when they come to our country,” Mr. Miller said at the time.
The new requirements mean that foreign students will need to prove they have $20,635 in funds to support themselves. Currently, international students only need to demonstrate they have $10,000.
The government is hoping the changes help ease the housing crisis in the country.
While Mr. Miller said that foreign students are not solely responsible for the housing shortage, “it would also be a mistake to invite them to come to Canada with no support including how to put a roof over their heads.”
