Alberta universities may face further cuts to international student visas with Ottawa’s impending plan to cut the targeted number in half.
It’s expected Ottawa’s new immigration targets will include a reduction in student visas to 155,000 next year, down from more than 305,000 in last year’s plan.
The Canadian government introduced an annual cap in 2024 and announced a further 10 per cent reduction through 2025. This, paired with stricter requirements for international students, has led to an increase in student visa rejections reaching 62 per cent as of September.
These requirements focus on ensuring international students have a strong understanding of English by taking one of the certified tests on the Canadian government’s website, as well as a strong financial backing.
Universities in Calgary have been hit particularly hard, As of November, the University of Calgary has lost $34.7 million from the decline of international students according to a statement provided to CBC News. The year prior saw the university lose just over $15 million.
However, Communications Officer Haley Jarmain at MRU said international students only account for 3.5 per cent of the student population.
“The University planned for a potential reduction in international students as a result of the changes introduced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and has adjusted the 3-year budget accordingly,” said Jarmain. MRU has no current plans to suspend programs or reduce staff in response to these changes.
Despite cuts, the international community at MRU remains as strong as ever.
Duke Vo is the student lead for the Global Student Lounge, a “vibrant space for students from all backgrounds to meet other MRU students as well as students studying on exchange,” for the Fall 2025 semester. He said that despite there being less students than in previous years, the international community remains strong, with around 400 to 500 international students at the university.
“However, the community is still strong, in which the strongest is with the exchange students coming to Canada. They want to be involved with Canada for a short, limited amount of time.”
The federal government plans to reduce the number of temporary residents to 5 per cent of Canada’s population by the end of 2027, after it peaked at around 7.5 per cent in late 2024.
A spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada told The Canadian Press the student visa cap does not apply to master’s and doctoral students. This exemption from the cap is meant to recognize “their unique contribution to Canada’s economic growth and innovation.”
-With files from The Canadian Press