Thousands of students are protesting throughout Canada over the Justin Trudeau government’s plan to restrict study permits and permanent residence nominations.
The event occurred as over 70,000 international student graduates in North America faced deportation owing to recent changes in federal immigration regulations.
On Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that his government would restrict the number of temporary foreign workers doing low-wage employment.
In 2021, the work permit for international students under the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program was terminated, and last year, the federal government also implemented a two-year cap on international student visas.
International students made up 37% of Canadians with study visas in 2023, adding to the strain already caused by the shortage of housing, joblessness, and other services. The administration anticipates a 35 percent decrease in the number of international students admitted as a result of the student visa cap.
In response, the Canadian government declared in June that foreign nationals would no longer be able to apply at the border for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP).
According to Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, as of June 21, foreign nationals will not be able to apply at the border for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP).
This ruling aims to stop “flagpoling,” the practice of temporary residents leaving and returning to Canada in order to speed up applications for work or study permits.
