Effective January 21, international students and their families are required to meet more rigorous requirements to be eligible for open work permits (OWPs). This follows similar changes the federal government made to the post-graduation work permit (PGWP) requirements on November 26, to “support economic recovery” and address the “urgent needs of business” in the labour market.
The measures follow Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) promises made in September 2024 to reduce the target number of issued study permits by 10 per cent. These measures restrict OWP eligibility for the families of international students and foreign workers. These measures are an expansion of the IRCC’s initial actions in January 2024, which ended the automatic issuance of OWPs to undergraduate students’ spouses.
The policy
Under the new restrictions, only spouses of international students enrolled in a masters program longer than 16 months, a doctoral program, or select professional programs such as law, medicine, engineering, and education are eligible for OWPs.
Since November 1, 2024, PGWP applicants who are enrolled in non-university educational programs or a university program that is not a bachelor’s, masters, or doctorate degree, have only been eligible if enrolled in specific fields of study — including agriculture, health care, STEM, transportation, and trade work and construction programs — in addition to the pre-existing language requirements.
According to the federal government’s 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan, these fields of study must align “with immigration goals and labour market needs.”
On January 14, the IRCC released a statement noting that these measures are part of the federal government’s efforts “to strengthen the integrity and quality of our temporary resident programs while supporting the country’s economic goals and labour market needs.”
In the 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan, the IRCC puts this statement in more concrete terms. Tightening PGWP eligibility requirements is part of a plan to promote “robust GDP growth and enable GDP per capita growth to accelerate throughout 2025–2027, as well as improve housing affordability and lower the unemployment rate.”
International students weigh in
In response to whether they believed the new regulations would be effective in accomplishing the federal government’s economic goals, international students shared diverse perspectives.
“I believe it’s important to strike a balance between economic goals and creating an inclusive environment for international students,” wrote Eshika Sehgal — a fourth-year student from India studying industrial relations, human resources, and political science — in an email to The Varsity.
“[The policy] could [lessen the] demand for housing, which might slightly alleviate the housing crisis in certain urban centers,” Sehgal acknowledged. However, she also pointed out other factors contributing to the housing crisis — including “rising construction costs and delays in urban development.”
First-year life sciences student Ozgu Gulumser wrote, “I think [the policy] makes sense,” in an email to The Varsity. “Despite being an immigrant myself… in my opinion, a country’s priority should always be its own citizens first.” Gulumser referenced similar economic issues faced in her home country of Turkey.
Laura Vasco de Paula Ferreira — a third-year student from Brazil studying biological chemistry — predicted the impacts of the policy on all students, citing lost revenue from high international student tuition as an issue that universities like U of T must contend with.
In an email to The Varsity, Ferreira wrote, “Reduced enrollment might affect funding for programs and services essential for all students.”
The long-term impacts of these new regulations are still unseen, but their immediate effects on students are already taking shape.
When asked why they chose Canada to pursue their undergraduate education, Sehgal, Gulumser, and Ferreira all cited career aspirations. Now, they must make some pragmatic decisions about their futures.
Sehgal wrote that she is “now more focused on ensuring that [her] academic and career plans align with the sectors prioritized by the Canadian government.”
“These new restrictions are definitely shaping my future plans,” Ferreira wrote, “I’m now looking at other countries with more welcoming policies for international students and their careers.”
