Canada Hits Record Numbers for International Students in 2023 and Now Moving to a New Direction in 2024

There were more than a million students in Canada with active student visa in 2023. It was a record number of students in Canada since Data existed. It is an increase of roughly 30% from 2022 as per IRCC. Canada is hosting as many international students as the USA currently, despite the US being 9 times the size of Canada.

China and India account for more than 50% of the overseas student population in Canada while Phillipines, Nigeria and other African countries have multiplied their numbers recently. Going by provinces, Ontario held 51% of the total foreign student population, British Columbia being at 19% and Quebec at 11% for 2023.

However, the institutes in Canada have now been told by the authorities to expect a 35% drop in student visa owing to the increased population and higher demands of housing than supply. The annual population growth of Canada is at an all-time high of 3% and is majorly driven by foreign student growth. Foreign students have doubled in numbers in last 5 years and they
now represent 2.5% of the population. Between 2021 to 2023, the number of temporary foreign residents ( students & workers ) shot up by 256%. Canada’s intake of international students year on year is much higher when compared to
USA, UK, and Australia.

New Study permits are expected to have a 2 year cap and stricter rules. It has also been observed in Canada that 20% of the student visa holders are not studying at institutions they have been accepted to. It was found that 55% of Canada’s population was in favour of issuing less number of student visas by Canadian Government.

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