Algonquin College concerned over 'bombshell' international student cap

Algonquin College says the recent announcement by the federal government to cap international student visas by as much as 35 per cent will have severe consequences for the institution.

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Last week, Canada’s Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced a two-year cap on the number of new student visas issued in the country for undergraduate and college students. The federal government expected the number of people in Canada on a student visa to hit 900,000 in 2023, Miller said last fall.

"I must admit it felt like a bit of a bombshell that dropped off even though we knew things were in motion," said Algonquin College president, Claude Brulé in an interview with CTV News on Wednesday.

International students make up about 38 per cent of Algonquin's student population and pay roughly three times more in tuition than Canadian students.

Two years ago, the college partnered with CDI, a career college in the Toronto area catering to international students, but the school says that partnership is now in jeopardy.

"At this point, we are still reviewing the information and the data. We don’t know where that’s going to land," said Brulé .

After years of funding freezes, universities and colleges have been using international students to boost revenue. Last year, Algonquin received around 5,100 student visas.

Other post-secondary institutions across Ontario have seen numbers up to six times that number.

"We feel we’ve been very responsible and it would be unfair to be treated with the same brushstroke," said Brulé. "We’re hoping the allocation can reflect how responsible colleges like Algonquin Colleges have been."

The college says it needs more time to fully digest the weight of the announcement and what it means for its future.

Algonquin College operates three campuses in Ottawa, Pembroke and Perth.