Canada Considers Expedited Study Permits for Reputed Educational Institutions

The Canadian government is pondering over streamlining the process for international study permits for students applying to esteemed universities and colleges. Immigration Minister, Marc Miller, highlights the possibility of a new system, where permits can be fast-tracked for students from “trusted” educational institutions, which have a robust vetting process and offer significant post-arrival support in Canada.

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has initiated dialogues with universities to introduce a two-tier system. This system is aimed at enabling international students, who have secured admission in recognized institutions, to benefit from an expedited permit process.

Such initiatives arise from the understanding that trusted institutions have already conducted thorough checks during the admissions process, thereby reducing the burden on the IRCC.

Furthermore, the Canadian federal government has been actively collaborating with provincial authorities, who oversee education, on the “trusted universities” model. This initiative seeks to incentivize institutions that offer substantial support to foreign students, such as assisting with affordable housing solutions.

Canada is poised to welcome an unprecedented 900,000 international students this year, marking a three-fold increase from the past decade. With the proposed system, universities are optimistic about addressing the existing study permit backlogs.