Actions against the IRCC International Cuts

In November 2024, the federal government introduced sudden changes to the international student program, causing sharp drops in enrollment, program closures, and job losses—especially in colleges and teaching universities. We call on the new federal government to repeal these changes and launch a Royal Commission on Post-Secondary funding.

1. Overview

Background:

In November of 2024, the Federal Minister for Immigration and Refugees (IRCC), Marc Miller, announced sweeping changes to the post-secondary international student program.  The changes were meant to reduce the total number of international students in the country by making it more difficult for international students to get work permits and visas.  Despite protestations from institutions and their unions across the country, the federal government went ahead with these changes.  As a result, all post-secondary institutions, particularly colleges and teaching universities, are facing program closures and huge job losses since the number of international student registrations has plummeted.

 

The government claimed that these changes were brought about to address the housing crisis and to address abuses in the international student sector.  While there may be some merit in these reasons, the decisions ignore a key historical fact: both levels of government, provincial and federal, created this situation through their own policies. It was the provincial government, about two decades ago, that encouraged institutions to go after international students as a way to fund themselves.  International students were seen as a viable revenue stream.  And because government funding for post-secondary education has not increased in twenty years (when inflation and population size are considered), institutions did pursue international students and came to rely on the tuition they brought.  Then about a decade ago, the federal government opened up immigration more and welcomed more international students.  So, both provincial and federal government policies led us to the situation that prompted the Trudeau liberals to respond.  While it is true that there are considerable issues with the approach of relying on international students to fund the post-secondary system, one cannot simply remove a source of revenue without giving institutions time to adjust.  These IRCC changes are going to bankrupt the system, ruin Canada’s reputation as a destination for international students, and lead to massive job losses and program cuts.

We are calling on the newly elected federal government to repeal these decisions and to strike a Royal Commission on Post-Secondary funding.

2. Rally for Post-secondary Education
(April 25, 2025)

Faculty and students from Vancouver Community College and other lower mainland institutions gathered at the Vancouver Art Gallery to call upon the new federal government to revisit its approach to International Students when they take on their new mandate. 

News Links:
City News Article

 

They’ve in effect thrown the baby out with the bathwater,” said VCCFA President Frank Cosco.   “There were problems because of a lack of controls on the numbers of student visas.   But for over twenty years institutions have been clearly told by federal and provincial governments  that taking on international students was the way to fund their colleges.

Now we are dealing with an overreaction as the numbers of visas have been cut drastically.  The result is chaos as institutions  have to slash and burn their budgets.  If this was the auto industry, there’d be big headlines.   BC Colleges as a whole are cutting hundreds of faculty jobs.  It’s hurting international students, domestic students, industries, the colleges themselves.

We are in a crisis.   A crisis that cries out for attention from both levels of government.  The great, accessible post-secondary system we’ve had for decades is in danger of disappearing.

MP Jenny Kwan and VCCFA President Frank Cosco’s speech
VCCFA Vice President Taryn Thomson‘s speech
Instructors and student’s speech

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For any questions or inquiries regarding the campaign, please contact us at: info@vccfa.ca