Ontario Responds to Study Permit Changes
Posted on 30/03/2024
Ontario, in response to study permit changes announced earlier by IRCC – which we last updated at our blog here – has announced some adjustments to the province’s study permit policies. There are a couple of important changes to take note of:
- The overwhelming share of study permits issued for Ontario will be for public universities and colleges. In Ontario (and generally in Canada) the public universities and colleges are the well-known institutions with the best reputations. Private universities or colleges tend to specialize in their programs (for example: The Royal Conservatory of Music, or The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine) or in their approach to education (for example, religious institutions like Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College or Sacred Heart College).
- 96% of study permits in Ontario (that is more than 9 out of every 10) will be distributed to public universities and colleges.
- Only 4% will be distributed to the province’s private universities, as well as to language schools (especially French-language schools) and some other institutions.
- Career Colleges – those that offer shorter-term programs that lead to certificates and diplomas (but not degrees) will NOT be given any study permits.
- The following areas will be prioritized:
- Skilled Trades – typically offered at colleges rather than universities.
- Health and Human Resources – typically offered at universities.
- STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math – typically offered at universities.
- Hospitality – typically offered at colleges (or even career colleges which unfortunately will not be allocated any study permits)
- Child care – typically but not exclusively offered through colleges and also sometimes at universities.
- Any specific institution must have the study permits it issues in 2024 to the same level or lower than the number of permits issued to it by IRCC in 2023. The announcement strongly suggests that the Ontario government will monitor study permits issued to make sure that all DLIs (Designated Learning Institutions) are given the same or less study permits than in 2023.
- The total number of study permits issued to an institution must be no more than 55% of the first-year domestic (in other words, citizens and PRs) enrolment. However, they will provide an exception for “high-demand” areas.
- This exception seems to suggest that for some programs like those high-priority ones listed above, Ontario may allow a higher percentage of study permits relative to domestic enrolment.
- As we mentioned in our blog linked at the beginning, you will in most cases need a Letter of Attestation from your school when applying for a study permit. To obtain your letter, contact the admissions office at the school you have been accepted to.
- Post-Graduate Work Permits (PGWP) will NOT be available to graduates of public-private partnerships delivered by the private institution as of May 15, 2024. Here is a list of the main public-private partnerships affected. Please remember, the lack of PGWP applies only to those attending the private institution – not the public institution:
| Public College – eligible for PGWP
|
Private College – NOT eligible for PGWP
|
| Algonquin College | CDI College |
| Cambrian College of Applied Arts and Technology | Hanson College of Business, Health, and Technology |
| Canadore College | Stanford International College of Business and Technology |
| Fanshawe College | ILAC International College |
| Fleming College | Trebas Institute Ontario |
| Georgian College | ILAC International College |
| Lambton College | Queen’s College of Business, Technology and Public Safety |
| Lambton College | Cestar College of Business, Health and Technology |
| Loyalist College | Toronto Business College |
| Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology | TriOS College of Business, Technology and Healthcare |
| Niagra College Canada | Toronto School of Management |
| Northern College | Pures College of Technology |
| Sault College of Applied Arts and Technology | TriOS College of Business, Technology and Healthcare |
| Sheridan College | Canadian College of Technology and Trades – CCTT |
| St. Clair College | Ace Acumen Academy |
| St. Lawrence College | Alpha College of Business and Technology |
- Finally, Ontario promises to provide the following resources for international students:
- Require public colleges and universities to provide a guarantee of housing options for international students.
- Provide over $32 million to support mental health of students.
- Put in place additional measures to provide safe and inclusive campuses for students.
- Increase the transparency of the fees charged by colleges and universities in Ontario.
Posted in News Tips and tagged Ontario private and language schools, Ontario public universities and colleges, Study Permit
