Canada wants to impose restrictions on the number of international students allowed to live in the country, its Immigration Minister Marc Miller was quoted as saying in a CTV report.

Canada, which is facing a housing affordability crisis, is planning a potential cap on international students in the first and second quarters of this year. The housing crisis is attributed to an influx of migrants and international students driving up demand for homes amid slowed construction due to inflation.

Miller termed the current system as “out of control.”

The threshold of the cap is still in the works. Canada relies on immigration to boost its economy and support an aging population, which makes it a favored destination for international students due to its easy work permit process.

There were more than 800,000 foreign students in Canada with active visas in 2022, up from 275,000 in 2012.
“We need to be doing our jobs and making sure that we have a system that actually makes sure people have a financial capability to come to Canada, that we’re actually verifying offer letters,” Miller said, adding, “And now it’s time for us to have a conversation about volumes and the impact that is having in certain areas.”What about Indian students?
Indians comprised about 40 per cent of the 8 lakh international students in Canada, according to Canadian government statistics. The cap will impact this lot too.