Quebec government tables legislation to cap number of international students
The bill tabled Thursday is part of a larger push to lower the number of non-permanent residents in Quebec, which has increased to 600,000 from 300,000 in the last two years.
The Quebec government has proposed legislation to grant itself new powers to limit the number of international students in the province.
The bill, introduced on Thursday, is part of a broader initiative to decrease the number of non-permanent residents in Quebec, which has risen to 600,000 from 300,000 in the past two years. Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge noted that there were 120,000 foreign students in the province last year, a significant increase from 50,000 in 2014, and emphasized that Quebec is utilizing all available tools to reduce temporary immigration.
The proposed legislation would enable the government to set caps on the number of international student applications based on region, educational institution, level of study, and program.
Roberge assured that the bill would not negatively impact regional programs that rely on international students for viability.
Additionally, Quebec has raised tuition fees for students from other provinces by 33 percent as part of efforts to decrease the number of non-French-speaking students attending universities in Quebec.
