JAPA: Ontario lists priorities for international study permits 2024

The Government of Ontario, a province in Canada, has listed priorities for international study permits in 2024.

Ontario’s government has unveiled a new strategy for allocating international study permits, as detailed in a press release by the province’s news agency.

The key focus of this strategy is to prioritise postsecondary educational programs at public institutions, with the aim of better-preparing graduates for high-demand jobs that align with Ontario’s labor market requirements.

As a consequence, career colleges, typically private institutions, will no longer be eligible to receive study permit applications from international students.

This decision comes in the wake of a move by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to impose limitations on the issuance of study permits to international students nationwide for the years 2024 and 2025, primarily targeting undergraduate international students.

Notably exempt from this restriction are international students enrolled in primary and secondary schools, as well as those pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees.

Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities, emphasized the importance of attracting top-tier international students to Ontario, particularly in areas critical to the province’s economy.

Dunlop stated, “We are protecting the integrity of our province’s postsecondary education system by attracting the best and brightest international students to Ontario to study in areas that are critical to our economy.”

The new allocation system will see 96% of all study permits for international students directed towards public universities and colleges in Ontario.

The remaining permits will be distributed among language schools, private universities, and other institutions within the province. This distribution excludes career colleges from receiving any international student study permit applications.

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The province has chosen to prioritise programs in several high-demand areas, including skilled trades, health human resources, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), hospitality, and childcare. Additionally, there will be a focus on French-language enrollment to meet employer demand for workers proficient in French.

Outlined in the press release are specifics regarding Ontario’s study permit allocation for 2024:

• Permits allocated to an institution cannot exceed the number issued in 2023.
• The ratio of international permits cannot surpass 55% (excluding high-demand areas) of an institution’s 2023 first-year domestic enrollment.
• All public Ontario universities, with the exception of Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie, will maintain applications at 2023 levels.
• Eleven of Ontario’s 24 public colleges will also maintain applications at 2023 levels.