QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
International Students
October 8, 2024
Thank you for being here.
My question is regarding the impact of the international student cap on small and medium-sized Canadian universities. In my home province of Manitoba, the University of Winnipeg is a dynamic campus of approximately 10,000 students and a downtown hub that connects people from diverse cultures and nurtures global citizens.
The inclusion of graduate students in the international student cap will result in increased competition between institutions within and across provinces, as well as favour the big research universities over small and medium-sized universities. What is the federal government’s plan to ensure equitable distribution of opportunities for Manitoba’s universities and Canadian universities at large?
Thank you for the question.
I have a very good relationship with Premier Kinew — which is, sadly, contrary to some other premiers. I know how near and dear this is to his heart and to making sure that people can establish themselves in Manitoba and get the expertise and training that they need.
I think increased competition, frankly, is good. I’ve told institutions that they must ensure that their recruiting practices are better internationally so that people aren’t coming and getting the wrong student supports. They must ensure that tuition fees make sense and that people can properly integrate into Canada if they make the choice to stay here as permanent residents and, perhaps, become Canadian.
But all that is not guaranteed, and, currently, there are too many students in a precarious position. I don’t propose that we blame them. There are some really smart kids; I say “kids,” because they’re quite young. They are a vibrant part of our labour force. If we can integrate them properly, it’s a good thing. If we can’t, and we’ve sold them a bill of goods, that is a racket that we need to rein in, and that’s something that we need to get ahead of.
I don’t think any institution is innocent in this. Some are worse than others, but we’re prepared to work with provinces in enforcing their jurisdictions. This is primarily a provincial jurisdiction, but I’m here to help and ensure that this is a system we can continue to be proud of.
Thank you, minister. According to the September 18, 2024, announcement, as of January 2025, graduate students will no longer be exempt from requiring provincial attestation letters and will be included in the cap.
Given that graduate students contribute to Canada’s international reputation for high-quality training and research excellence, how will the federal government address the decline in international researchers participating in Canada’s growth economy?
The attestation letter is proof that it was important to ensure we were trusting a province’s institution, but also verifying. It is a front-line action we must take in order to ensure that people aren’t coming into Canada fraudulently. We had cases of people showing up at a New Brunswick institution without offer letters. That can’t happen. That’s important.
The availability of these bright students will continue to build a reputation that will make Canada much more attractive. What’s happening in the international student space isn’t unique to Canada. It has happened in Australia and Britain and is happening in the U.S. However, it’s something on which we can work together to ensure that when people look for international excellence, they think of Canada first and foremost.
