Some N.L. international students in limbo due to new work permit rules

A Grand Falls-Windsor international student says the federal government's changes to post-graduation work permit eligibility have left him and some of his classmates in limbo.

Johnny Alubu Selemani, international student representative for the Newfoundland and Labrador chapter of the Canadian Federation of Students, said he's heard from students paying a premium to study in Canada whoare now worried they may not be able to work in Canada in their field after graduation.

"At one minute you feel like you're paying a lot of money, and the next minute you're told that you might not be allowed to stay after you finish your program," he said in an interview with The St. John's Morning Show.

Last week, federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced changes to post-graduate work permit eligibility.

Miller said there will be a new language-proficiency requirement for applicants, and graduates from programs at public colleges like College of the North Atlantic will now only be eligible for a permit if their area of study is linked to labour market shortage in Canada.

Selemani, originally from South Africa, is studying business management at College of the North Atlantic in Grand Falls-Windsor. Selemani said he's planning to settle in the central Newfoundland community, but isn't sure how the post-graduation work permit changes will affect those plans.

"The idea that the landscape is changing, that the policies are changing, it's creating uncertainty," he said.

LISTEN | N.L. international student says new work permit rules creating anxiety:

St John's Morning Show8:20New study permit rules are causing anxiety for international students

He's heard from other international students wondering if they should or even if they can switch programs to an in-demand field like nursing.

Selemani wants the federal government to do a better job communicating with international students about the changes to the already complex rules around study and work permits.

CBC News has asked College of the North Atlantic if administration has determined how the changes will affect students.

Study permits reduced by another 10%, impact to N.L. unclear

Earlier this year, the federal government introduced a cap on new undergraduate study permits, reducing the number of new permits for this year by 35 per cent compared with 2023.

However, in 2024 Newfoundland and Labrador actually saw an increase of about 10 per cent in undergraduate permits because of changes in how permits were distributed among provinces.

Last week, Miller announced a further 10 per cent reduction in international study permits for 2025 and 2026.

He pointed to a tightening labour market and housing costs as two reasons for the restrictions. Miller said the number of temporary residents which includes, but isn't limited to international students in Canada has ballooned from 437,000 in 2019 to about 1.2 million in 2023.

"I think it's safe to admit that we have allowed certain aspects of this to get overheated," he said.

Miller said the federal government will cap international study permits at 437,000, down from the 2024 target of 485,000.

It isn't clear how that reduction will impact the number of permits allocated to Newfoundland and Labrador. CBC News has asked for an interview with provincial Immigration Minister Sarah Stoodley about the allocation and the changes to post-graduation work permit eligibility.

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