Okanagan College backs province’s international student changes

The president of Okanagan College says they strongly support the measures announced by the B.C. government aimed at ensuring international students have a positive experience in the province.

Dr. Neil Fassina said post-secondary institutions “must be leaders in this space,” and unrelenting in their commitment to high quality education for all students.

The province is putting a two-year freeze on new institutions enrolling international students and imposing minimum language requirements.

Fassina said ethical recruitment, student support and fair treatment are essential elements of their international student strategy.

“By way of example, OC connects directly with every international student before they leave their home country. We provide orientation sessions online and answer questions from students and families, to help them be prepared and know what to expect. This means that students who come to OC from outside Canada have support from our staff team from the first day we receive their application, right through to their graduation,” Fassina stated.

Minister of Post-Secondary Education Selina Robinson said many students are being exploited and there will be more frequent inspections on such schools to ensure standards are met.

“That’s why we’re introducing more stringent requirements for institutions and robust safeguards to protect international students against bad actors, provide them with a better path to success, and make sure B.C. continues to attract the talented students we need to fill significant gaps in the labour market and drive our economy forward,” Robinson said.

Robinson said the pause on new institutions will last until February 2026.

The moves come after the federal government announced last week that it was capping the number of study permits it approves over the next two years to slow the ballooning international student program.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller said the limit would reduce the number of new student visas by 35 per cent for this year.

The student program has grown significantly, including a 31 per cent jump to more than 800,000 students in 2022 from the year before, putting added strain on Canada’s housing market.

The province said B.C. has more than 175,000 international post-secondary students from more than 150 countries, out of a total 545,000 post-secondary students in public and private institutions.

About 54 per cent of international students are in private post-secondary institutions.

(With files from The Canadian Press)