Mariana Mello, Marketing Manager at VGC, shares insights on Canada’s new rules for International Students

Canada’s recent policy changes brought new challenges for international students planning to come to Canada. Mariana Mello, Marketing Manager at VGC International College, breaks down what this means and talks about the key updates, their impact, and what international students should know before coming to Canada in 2025.

Q: What recent policy changes have affected international students in Canada, and how do they differ from previous regulations?

A: Immigration in Canada is always changing to adapt to the new circumstances and what´s best for the country as a whole community. The new changes are affecting students a lot, and I think the main change that has been affecting the industry is the changes they made to the postgraduate work permit. Since last year, immigration has narrowed down the areas and programs that apply to pgwp. Now, people coming to Canada are more serious about education, and immigration is directing students to the areas of need in the country.

Q: How are these changes impacting the number of international students applying to and enrolling in Canadian institutions?

A: The numbers are going down, and the government now issues attestation letters to accredited institutions. That´s how they control the number of international students as well. Every province has a number of students allowed to come, so immigration can control these numbers. Enrollments are going down, and all those changes have affected institutions for the past two years.

Q: What financial consequences are colleges and universities facing due to a potential decline in international student enrollment?

A: Institutions are seeing a big hit and are trying to find ways to adjust to the big gap in the budget and make up for that revenue. Unfortunately, one of the biggest consequences of the last couple of years has been many layoffs. People are losing their jobs, not only staff but especially academics, due to the lack of students. The number of classes is going down as well.

Q: How are job roles in international recruitment being affected?

A: They are all trying to limit the number of staff in the international departments. We saw a big movement of layoffs, and we are seeing a big freeze in hiring as well.

Q: Are institutions scaling back recruitment efforts or restructuring their teams?

A: Many institutions are scaling back their recruitment efforts, and some are restructuring their teams. Unfortunately, this has led to job losses in some institutions, especially in admissions, marketing, and international recruitment departments.

Q: What impact could these job losses have on Canada’s overall higher education sector and its ability to attract international students in the future?

A: Any changes come with adjustments so that the industry will adjust and survive. We will get shorter, but we always adjust. But the thing is, when things start to get better again, when Canada decides to bring more international students again, it´s a big work to make the name again, to make Canada attractive again, to make it reliable again for students to come. Once you start growing those numbers again, it will be a slow process, but it´s part of the adjustments that need to be made. We don´t want to send the wrong message. It´s not that we don´t want international students, we do want international students and need them in the specific areas Canada needs now.

Q: What strategies are institutions implementing to adapt to these changes while minimizing negative effects on both students and staff?

A: I think we will see the adjustment in the industry in the next two years, but there´s always hope for things to get better. We need people to qualify for specific areas that need professionals. The unemployment rate in Canada right now is outrageous, and unfortunately, the young generation can´t find jobs. It´s not only a matter of international students replacing the workforce, domestic students also can´t find jobs, but there is hope that everything will adjust.

If you’re planning to study in Canada, be sure to check with your institution and official sources for the latest updates.

---

Comments