Recently, Immigration Canada issued a series of new regulations that will make major adjustments to the study permit policy for international students, including a major change in the cost of living requirement for study permit applications. This news has attracted widespread attention among the international student community.
First, according to the official announcement, from January 1, 2024, the cost of living requirement for Xi visa applicants will double to $20,635, equivalent to 75% of Canada's new Low Income Standard (LICOs). Previously, this standard had remained unchanged for a long time, having been $10,000 since the early 2000s. The Department of Immigration said that this adjustment is aimed at ensuring that international students can have sufficient financial support during their Xi studies in Canada and avoid affecting their studies due to insufficient living expenses.
For international students, this means that the additional cost of living that will be required to apply for a study permit in the future will increase significantly. In addition, with Statistics Canada's annual adjustment of the low-income standard, the standard of living expenses for study permit applications is expected to rise every year, providing higher living security for international students.
In addition to the adjustment of the cost of living, the new regulations also involve restrictions on the number of hours international students can work off-campus. The restriction on off-campus work hours for international students during the school day will continue to be waived until April 30, 2024, extending the previously stated deadline. Currently, international students are allowed to work off-campus for 20 hours per week during the school day, and it is expected to be further extended to 30 hours per week in the future. This measure aims to provide international students with more financial support** and reduce their financial pressure during their study abroad.
In addition, there are two policies regarding post-graduation work permits. The first is the adjustment of the requirements for online courses, allowing international students to include the time of study Xi in the future graduation work permit, provided that the online class time accounts for less than 50% of the Xi course. The second is the extension policy for post-graduation work permits, which provides post-graduation work permit holders with an additional 18-month work permit to cope with the uncertainty of the labor market during and after the pandemic.
Regarding this series of new regulations, Canadian Immigration Minister Mark Miller said that this is to ensure that international students can get better living conditions and support during the study and Xi process in Canada. He noted that while international students contribute greatly to the Canadian economy, the changes are intended to address issues such as housing challenges that international students face while Xi studying in Canada. According to the Ministry of Immigration, this series of reforms will help protect the rights and interests of international students and prevent them from vulnerability and exploitation.
However,For international students and applicants, this series of changes can bring higher financial burdens and challenges. In particular, the doubling of the cost of living may cause some students who had planned to study abroad in Canada to reevaluate their study abroad options. This also highlights the need for international students to consider multiple factors when choosing a study destination, including financial pressure, living conditions, etc
Overall, the introduction of this series of new regulations shows that Canada** has adjusted its international student policy to better protect the interests of international students while adapting to the new challenges of the post-pandemic era. The environment and conditions for international students to study and Xi in Canada will undergo a series of changes, which also reminds international students to pay attention to relevant policy changes in a timely manner and adapt and adjust.