Canada bans automatic conversion of study permits into work permits

As part of its most recent immigration laws, Canada has prohibited the automatic conversion of study permits into permanent residency for international students.

This new legislation requires overseas students to return to their home countries upon the expiration of their study visas in Canada.

This also ends the conversion of non-citizens with study permits to permanent residency.

Marc Miller, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, announced the news during an interview on Tuesday.

During the interview, Miller also stated that Canada is ending the Student Direct Stream (SDS) program and ‘halting asylum applications connected to such immigration paths.’

The new policies follow recent protests by international students across Canada who demanded a streamlined process for transitioning from study permits to permanent residency or an extension of their stay.

Speaking on their demands, the Immigration Minister said, “When people come here and decide they want to be students, there are no guarantees to become permanent residents. Some students will have to make a difficult decision as to whether they leave the country or not.”

Miller further noted that work permits should align with Canada’s labour market needs, adding that the government will not provide blanket extensions to all students.

The Minister further revealed that permanent residency quotas were recently reduced by 20%, in order to help stabilize the system and balance the long-term needs of the country.

“We had to reduce permanent residency by a little over 20% to address Canada’s aging population and labour shortages while avoiding overburdening housing and public services,” he explained.