With Canada Day almost upon us, some new Canadians will celebrate in nationwide citizenship ceremonies — but countless migrants are facing the reality that they may never reach that milestone.
The Canadian immigration system is changing rapidly, challenging Canada’s reputation as the “gold standard” for immigration policy. Amid growing uncertainty and xenophobia, temporary migrants, including international students, are left with fewer choices.
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Canada’s immigration policies are creating new barriers for international students
Some have depleted all their savings — paying tens of thousands of dollars in tuition,, getting paid $7 an hour, if at all — only to find out that the permanent residency route they’d invested in for years has now been removed.
Drastic reductions
Rapid policy changes are, as the Migrant Rights Network notes, “pushing people out at more than 3,000 per day.”
The International Study Program that sets out rules for foreign nationals studying in Canada has seen more than 25 changes since 2023, drastically reducing numbers beyond previous targets. The Liberal government has adopted Bill C-12: Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act that introduces major amendments across multiple federal laws.
Ontario, British Columbia and Manitoba have also removed dedicated pathways for international graduates.
Although some changes aim to “make it clear that asylum is not a shortcut to permanent immigration,” as many have repeatedly pointed, framing international students as “queue-jumpers” sidesteps real questions.
‘Chutes and ladders’ immigration system
Within Canada’s “two-step” immigration system, migrants first enter the country temporarily through work or study permits. Once they meet certain criteria, such as gaining “Canadian work experience,” they may be invited to apply for permanent residency.
But this has changed rapidly. As a settler-colonial state, Canada has historically preferred predominantly white, European permanent residents. Although explicitly exclusionary policies are less obvious today, there are still inherent problems in the system that must be addressed.
While presented as a win-win solution, Canada’s emphasis on temporary migrants since the mid-2000s has been criticized for creating what some call “probationary precarity.” In fact, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery reported that Canada’s temporary foreign worker program is a “breeding ground for modern slavery.”.
Although the government has addressed some concerns, issues remain.
From ‘study, work, stay’ to stronger borders
Our ongoing research found that international students came to Canada with drastically different expectations. Backed by government-endorsed slogans like “study, work, and stay”, these students were aggressively recruited.
But during the last federal election campaign, international students officially became easy scapegoats for issues that were already urgent. Since then, there has been a surge in anti-immigrant sentiment.
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Demonizing foreign students sidesteps solutions to Canada’s problems
At the same time, more than 25 policy reforms were introduced to the International Student Program from 2023 to 2025. These changes range from restrictions on work permits to a cap on international students and, for the first time, targets on temporary migrants.
As a recent Auditor General report found, these changes have resulted in much greater reduction of international students than targeted, disproportionately impacting smaller provinces.
Public colleges, too, are impacted significantly, suffering from unprecedented job losses and program closures.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
These reforms were introduced while international students were largely blamed for the increase in asylum claims and faced allegations they use this pathway to prolong their stays in Canada.
As such, despite criticisms from the Senate and more than 300 civil society organizations, the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act became law in March 2026.
It introduced security-focused provisions, including expanded discretionary powers, personal data-sharing powers and restrictions on asylum claimants that critics argue are inconsistent with Canada’s Constitution and international obligations.
The myth of the back door
The notion of a “back door” or shortcut to permanent residency is false; Canada has a robust visa and asylum process. Despite claims that most asylum-seekers are international students, only seven per cent of asylum claims came from study permit holders in 2023 and 13 per cent in 2024.
General migration trends such as post-COVID 19 backlogs, the rise in global displacement and changes to the temporary visa requirements led to an increase in asylum claims. Painting an entire group as responsible is inaccurate and dangerous.
These changes often mislead migrants and also reduce legal pathways towards permanent residency. For example, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that it would introduce a temporary resident-to-permanent resident pathway. But this much-awaited change was merely about faster processing.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Tijana Martin
Better together?
Restricting immigration will not fix Canada’s systemic social and economic problems.
Temporary migrants like international students, who are members of our communities, are facing greater barriers, inequalities and uncertainty due to Canada’s abrupt policy changes.
The question remains as to whether Canada will pursue increasingly restrictive immigration policies or tackle divisive xenophobia? As Canadians mark Canada day, it’s worth reflecting on Canada’s past and how to build a more equitable and just future for all
