Nova Scotia has unveiled its allocation plan for international students in post-secondary institutions. In 2024, Nova Scotia plans to grant 12900 study permits to foreign students from the federal government, marking a decrease of around 7,000 permits compared to the previous year’s issuance.
In October 2023, Nova Scotia reported that 16,000 or so international students were enrolled full-time. The province granted study licenses to thirty-two DLIs out of the total number of educational institutions to which these students were assigned. It’s important to remember that DLIs are the only post-secondary educational establishments in Canada that have permission to accept foreign students. 41 DLIs are officially recognized as being inside the borders of Nova Scotia, according to IRCC.
The distribution of permits is structured as follows:
- 11,565 permits allocated to Nova Scotia’s 10 universities and Nova Scotia Community College.
- 710 permits designated for a dozen private career colleges.
- 526 permits assigned to nine language schools within the province.
The province has declared its plan to set aside 99 application slots in order to accommodate unanticipated events.
The Minister of Advanced Education for Nova Scotia, Brian Wong, said, “We have carefully considered how to distribute the federal cap throughout the province, accounting for a number of factors like community growth management and enrollment in essential programs.” Still, we will continue to push for more funding from the federal government.
The federal study permit cap was introduced on January 22 and is one of many policies put in place by the International Relations Commission of Canada (IRCC) to control the number of foreign students entering the nation and improve system sustainability. In 2024, Canada expects to provide 360,000 study permits to foreign students—a 35% decrease from the previous year.
A province’s capacity to issue Provincial Attestation Letters (PALs) is directly correlated with the number of study permits it can grant. The provinces retain the authority to determine how many PALs to award to study permit applicants who have obtained acceptance letters from DLIs.
It’s essential to note that the cap does not affect foreign students enrolled in graduate or master’s degree programs. Additionally, individuals who already possess a study permit or are seeking to renew one are also exempt from the cap.
International candidates for study permits are now required to attach a PAL to their final applications.
Prince Edward Island Allocates 2,000 Study Permits for International Students
International students will receive 2,000 study permits from Prince Edward Island, which will be distributed among three DLIs as follows. This information was disclosed on March 7.
College de l’Ile will receive 105 study permits, Holland College will receive 710 study permits, and the University of Prince Edward Island will receive 1,185 study permits.
Provincial Attestation Letters will be provided to DLIs in PEI by the Department of Workforce, Advanced Learning, and Population. The DLIs will subsequently provide these PALs to international student applicants. The applicants will then proceed to complete the federal student permit application procedure with the assistance of the DLIs.
Assignments in other provinces
Provincial Attestation Letters allotted to British Columbia and Ontario were announced earlier this month.
Ninety-six percent of the study permits Ontario intends to issue will be allocated to public colleges and universities. The remaining 4% will be distributed among “language schools, private universities, and other institutions” across the province. The province has not, however, made public the precise number of PALs that the federal government has allotted. British Columbia plans to divide its 83,000 study permits almost evenly between public and private DLIs. Specifically, 47% will be allocated to private DLIs, while 53% will go to public DLIs.
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