On Thursday, December 7, 2023, the Immigration Minister, Marc Miller announced an update on study permit applications, the long awaited information on the full-time work policy for international students in Canada and also the post-graduate work permit extension policy.
Beginning, January 1, 2024 the cost of living for study permit applications will increase by over a hundred percent. Currently, Canada study permit applicants show a proof of fund that sums up to $10,000 but from January 1, 2024 this will increase to a sum of $20,635 for new study permit applications.
This development is said to help the international students be financially capable of sustaining themselves on arrival into Canada.
The Minister further announced that institutions have been advised to accept the number of students they can accommodate to avoid housing issues, he went on to say that if this would require reducing the amount of study permit applications accepted in the coming year, the government is prepared to work with the provinces and institutions in achieving positive results as the welfare of international students is very important.
International students in Canada and students that have already applied for a study permit as at December 7, 2023 will be allowed to work for more than 20 hours per week until April 30, 2024. IRCC is still working on measures that will be put in place towards the working policy for international students.
As a result of the pandemic in 2020, the Post Graduate Working Permit (PGWP) extension policy was introduced due to travel restrictions and other unavoidable circumstances. The Minister has announced that after December 31, 2023, there will no longer be an extension on this policy. However, foreign nationals that have a post-graduation working permit can apply for an extension before December 31, 2023 under the PGWP extension 2023 policy.
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