Housing Minister, Sean Fraser, has revealed that Canada is currently encountering increasing cost of accommodation and the government might limit international students’ visas to tackle the problem.
According to Reuters, Fraser stated this recently on the sidelines of a cabinet retreat in the Atlantic province of Prince Edward Island.
When asked if the government could consider imposition on the number of students, Fraser said: “I think that is one of the options that we ought to consider.
“We’ve got temporary immigration programs that were never designed to see such explosive growth in such a short period of time.”
There were over 800,000 foreign students with active visas in 2022, against 275,000 in 2012.
The increase came as Canada became a popular destination for international students since it is easier to obtain a work permit.
Fraser said the sharp increase in the number of students was putting pronounced pressure on some housing markets.
Ahead of the federal election that will take place in October 2025, the opposition Conservative Party said the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is not doing enough to address the housing issue.
With a population of 39.5 million people, Canada plans to take in a record 500,000 new permanent residents in 2025. Fraser said reducing the number of newcomers was not the answer.
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