New limits on international students are causing turmoil among colleges, universities

New, tighter restrictions for international students at Canadian universities and colleges are worrying industry watchers, who warn that continued uncertainty about post-secondary could damage Canada's reputation as an attractive place to study and live.

Canada's post-secondary sector was already adapting to a reduction of international study permits and other measures announced in January when Immigration Minister Marc Miller further tightened the cap on Wednesday. He dropped the intake by an additional 10 per cent for the next two years (437,000 will be permitted) and it now includes graduate and doctoral students, who were exempted earlier. He also added tightened eligibility for the Post-Graduate Work Permit program.

«There's room for improvement,» Miller said in an interview on CBC's after the announcement. «I'm not entirely confident that institutions have adapted their recruitment practices.»

Noting that provinces have provided inadequate financial support to post-secondary institutions over the years, Miller added that provincial governments «really need to step up» to work with schools on this issue.

«The federal government has a role in this, but people's balance sheets can't be determined by whether they get international students or not. It's a luxury. It's a privilege and not necessarily a right.»

The dramatic increase of international students — more than 1.5 million study permits for post-secondary were granted from 2018 to 2023 — has come under greater scrutiny, with some linking it to straining housing and health care. Lack of proper support for international students and questionable programs targeting them have also come to light.

«There's no question as a country, we need to make sure we've got the