Re: International Student Policy Changes Threaten B.C. Colleges and Provincial Economy
Dear Minister Kang,
Congratulation on your re-election and reappointment to the Ministry of Postsecondary Education and Future Skills. We look forward to continued work with your government in the next few years, and with you personally as our Minister. You have stepped into the role at a pivotal time in our sector, and we are going to need your support.
I am the president of the Faculty Association at Vancouver Community College. On November fourth, I travelled to Ottawa with two of my counterparts from Camosun College Faculty Association and North Island College Faculty Association to express our concerns about the recent changes to international student visas and the issuance of post-graduate work permits for international students. These changes, brought in by IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) came in rapidly; they were announced early in the fall and came into effect November first. We understand the reasons the Liberal government imposed these changes. We are all aware of the abuses in the system and the “bad actors” that have allowed unfettered growth of international students for profit, without providing the needed supports for these students.
However, these changes were brought in swiftly, without consultation, and without understanding of what the unintended consequences on institutions, particularly Community Colleges, would be.
When we went to Ottawa, we had two requests that we made of every MP and chief of staff we met with:
- The National Occupation Codes (NOC) used by the federal government to determine eligibility for post-graduate work permits are missing key program areas such as ECCE, hospitality, culinary, and business. These are all areas experiencing labour shortages in the lower mainland. The NOC codes must be expanded so that labour market needs are met by the institutions that serve them.
- International students in degree programs at colleges must be eligible for postgraduate work permits just as international students at universities are. Under the new policy, international students in degree programs at colleges are ineligible for Post- Graduate Work Permits (PGWP’s).
We met with Minister Miller’s Chief of Staff, Mike Burton, and Liberal MP, Terry Beech, and both indicated that edits to the new policy are likely to happen in the coming months. They seemed to hear and understand our concerns.
Now that your government has formed, we will need your help in pushing this issue. Already at our institutions, we project at least a 30% reduction in students for the spring, and this number is projected to dip further in the fall. Some institutions have already started issuing layoff notices and cutting classes. And while the federal government’s policy changes are intended to impact international students, there cannot be a massive reduction in international students without there being a ripple effect felt in the entire institution. Domestic offerings will drop also, and with them, services such as counselling and supports for Indigenous learners will be cut. Job losses will mean ripple effects in the communities we are situated in, and the loss of international students will have an impact both socially, but also on communities where international students contribute greatly as workers and community members. The effects of these changes will be severe, and they are already starting to happen. Canada’s “brand” as an international destination has been tarnished, and already students are choosing to go elsewhere.
We ask for your assistance in the following ways:
- Ask Premier Eby to request that this issue be placed on the next agenda of the First Ministers’Meeting.
- Consult with institutions and advocate with the federal government for NOC code expansion.
- Discuss with the federal government a relief plan for institutions hit the hardest by these abrupt changes.
Thanks for considering these requests. This is the biggest crisis to hit our sector in at least a decade, and it will impact students, faculty, and the financial viability of institutions. In turn, our communities will be impacted both financially and socially. If you would like to discuss this in person, I am available.
Respectfully,
Taryn Thomson
President, Vancouver Community College Faculty Association
Cc:
VCC Board of Governors
Ajay Patel, President, VCC
Joan Phillip – MLA Vancouver-Strathcona
Terry Beech – Member of Parliament
Jenny Kwan – Member of Parliament
Don Davies – Member of Parliament