Canada is being confronted with the rising housing cost which may lead to placing limits on foreign student visas.
Sean Fraiser, Canadian housing minister, said this in a chat with newsmen on the sidelines of a cabinet retreat in the Atlantic province of Prince Edward Island, according to Reuters.
Speaking about whether the Canadian government could consider imposition on the number of students coming to the country, Fraiser said, “I think that is one of the options that we ought to consider.”
“We’ve got temporary immigration programs that were never designed to see such explosive growth in such a short period of time,” he added.
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Reports show that there were more than 800,000 foreign students with active visas in 2022, up from 275,000 in 2012.
The rising number made Canada become a popular destination for international students since it is relatively convenient to receive a work permit.
Fraser, who was immigration minister before becoming housing minister in July, said the sharp rise in the number of students was putting pronounced pressure on some housing markets.
Reuters said the official opposition Conservative Party, ahead in the polls of a federal election that must be held by October 2025, since the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “is not doing enough to address the housing issue”.
Canada, which has a population of around 39.5 million people, plans to take in a record 500,000 new permanent residents in 2025.
Fraser said limiting the number of newcomers was not the answer.
