Canada Closes Pathway to Permanent Residency for Foreign Students in Major Immigration Policy Shift

Canada has reviewed its immigration policies, banning foreign students from remaining in the country once their study visas expire.

In the new immigration rules, the study permit pathway for international students to get permanent residency has been closed.

According to the latest policy, international students will have to go back to their home countries upon the expiration of their study visas in Canada.

Canada is also terminating the Student Direct Stream (SDS) program and prohibiting asylum claims connected to such immigration pathways.

The country’s Minister of Immigration, Marc Miller, confirmed this development during an interview on Tuesday.

X-raying the nation’s immigration policies and the challenges faced by international students, Miller insisted that if anyone comes to Canada for academic activities, then it suffices that such a person would leave the country after completing such programme.

The change in policies followed recent protests by international students across Canada who sought a streamlined process to transition from study permits to permanent residency or an extension of their stay.

Responding to the protesters’ demands, Miller said it was expected that when people come to Canada to study, there are no guarantees to become permanent residents.

He underscored the distinction between study permits and resident permits, stating that while students have a right to protest, the priority of Canada’s immigration policies is to maintain balance and order in the system.

SDS, since its inauguration in 2018, aimed to fast-track the processing of study permits within 20 days for eligible students from 14 countries.

Over time, it expanded to include students from Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Senegal, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vietnam.