Stewart Sharma Harsanyi Immigration Law Firm Blog

Navigating the Storm: Federal Caps on International Students and the Ensuing Turmoil

In a recent development that has stirred controversy across Canada's educational and political landscapes, Federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced caps on international student permits. This development will disproportionately impact provinces such as British Columbia and Ontario more than others. This perhaps overdue decision has sparked a vehement debate, highlighting a complex interplay of federal oversight, provincial autonomy, and operations of academic institutions that had grown reliant on the (excessive) fees charge to international students to buttress budgets that were impacted by provincial governments freezing funding. Minister Miller's assertion that claims of Ontario being caught off guard by these changes are "complete garbage" adds a layer of acrimony to the discourse, especially in light of Ontario education minister Jill Dunlop's assertion that the cap was imposed "without consultation and without warning." This assertion however is belied by the fact that the writing was on the wall for many months before the announcement of the caps in January of this year. This also comes on the heels of vicious backbiting and a war of words between some institutions in Ontario and here I'm thinking of the comments made by the current president of Conestoga college. This imbroglio underscores a broader dialogue... Read more →

January 22, 2024 Radio Interview Discussion the Newly Announced Cap on International Students

Stewart Sharma Harsanyi Immigration Lawyers · January 22 2024 Radio Interview Discussing cap on international students with Ben O'Hara-Byrne On Monday, January 22, 2024 I joined host Ben O'Hara-Byrne on his program, A Little More Conversation, to discuss the newly announced caps imposed on international students (and by extension to the Designated Learning Institutions that have become addicted to that source of funding). 2024 01 22 Ben OHaraByrne interview on intl caps Transcript Ben O-Hara-Byrn...: We'll start too with the whole idea of immigration because there was a major immigration announcement today from the federal government. Canada is imposing a national cap on the intake of international students into this country. The Immigration Minister Marc Miller provided details today as the liberal government held a cabinet retreat in Montreal. The cap is expected to result in approximately 365,000 approved study permits. That's a decrease of 35% from 2023. Marc Miller: One, a temporary two-year cap on new international student permits. It is the latest in a series of measures to improve program integrity and set international students up for the success in order to maintain a sustainable level of temporary residence in Canada as well. Ben O-Hara-Byrn...: Some of the... Read more →

Punjabi language interview discussing the proposed cap on international students

This morning I had an opportunity to discuss the now oft-raised issue of a cap on international students. Minister Miller is making the media rounds discussing the concerns, integrity and otherwise regarding the dramatic increase of international students (which of course has occurred since the Liberals formed government almost a decade ago). It is of course easy to pick on international students. They don't vote and are strangers in a strange land. It is however incumbent on the Minister to showcase good and intelligent policy instead of mere sound bytes. There is a great deal of diversity within the international student population, and it makes little sense to lump those going to career colleges and the like and living in hot housing markets like Brampton to those going to universities and post-graduate studies in other communities across Canada. Part of the issue is the revolving door at the very top and the fact remains is that few Ministers stay long enough to grasp the intricacies of this Department that covers disparate classes of immigration from economic to non-economic. Stewart Sharma Harsanyi Immigration Lawyers · January 15 2024 Interview on RedFM on propsed cap on international students 2024 01 15 redfm... Read more →

RedFM Punjabi Language Interview: Proposed Cap on International Students to Canada

I discussed the proposed cap on the numbers of international students with Rishi Nagar, News Director of RedFM on August 23, 2023. Stewart Sharma Harsanyi Immigration Lawyers · August 2023 RedFM Interview on Proposed Cap on Students The interview covered the recent volte face by the Federal Government; international students were so vital to the post-pandemic economy that the 20 hour limit to working was lifted but now they are deemed to contribute to the housing "crisis" in Canada. It also discusses my comments in the Toronto Star addressing ways to optimize the program rather than capping (but which may necessarily lead to less intake over time. 2023 08 23 RedFM international students cap Read more →

The Pros and Cons of Coming to Canada to Study

The following article was written by Sahj Dhillon, a summer student at Stewart Sharma Harsanyi Introduction When considering where to study as an international student there are numerous factors to consider including but not limited to livability, climate, safety, employment opportunities and a clear cut and reasonable path to citizenship upon completion of your studies. Canada offers a competitive package to international students that goes toe to toe with many other popular destinations for international students including Australia, The U.K and the United States. We will explore the various pros and cons of studying in Canada as an international student. Pros: High-Quality Education: Canada has always boasted an impressive array of universities and technical colleges. Canadian universities are globally recognized and offer a range of academic programs. Three universities in Canada placed in the top 100 of U.S News and World Report University Rankings[i] with the University of Toronto ranking 1st in Canada and 18th in the world, The University of British Columbia ranking 2nd in Canada and 35th in the world and McGill University ranking 3rd in Canada and 54th in the world. Canadian institutions provide students with a wide array of academic programs and are very open and... Read more →