In 2023, more than 20,000 former students were granted permanent residence in Canada.

More former international students have been granted permanent resident status in Canada thus far in 2023 than in the entire previous year.

In the first three quarters of 2023, 20,580 former holders of study permits became permanent residents, up from 19,735 in 2022, according to data from the IRCC.

Over the past four years, the number of students becoming permanent residents in Canada has skyrocketed; according to the most recent data, the number of former international students receiving permanent residency increased by 78% in 2019 compared to 2019.

With 35 % of those who transitioned to permanent residency in 2023 planning to live there, Ontario has continued to be the most popular destination for former students to apply to stay permanently. Alberta (9%), British Columbia (21%), and Quebec (12%) came next.

Global Affairs Canada emphasized the need to broaden the range of study locations that international students select in Canada when debating the country's upcoming international education strategy. The organization claims that doing so will "spread the burden on services" and more fairly distribute the economic impact of students.

It coincides with Canada's plans to stabilize the number of permanent residents in 2026, signalling a shift in policy following years of rapid immigration growth.

For the next two years, Canada will stick to its intended goals, which call for an increase in the number of new permanent residents to 485,000 in 2024 and 500,000 in 2025. The government plans to stabilize the number of permanent residents at 500,000 by 2026.

The increased population of Canada is putting pressure on housing and infrastructure, which is one reason for the new policy.

A small portion of Canada's new permanent residents are still former international students. The nation granted the status to 437,180 persons in total last year—the greatest number ever.

Over 800,000 international students attended Canadian colleges and universities in that same year, following a spike in enrollment from foreign nationals.

According to research, most international students studying in Canada want to become permanent residents, but many do not get that desirable status.

As compared to all students in Canada, the number of students obtaining permanent residency is "very small," and some students take "false hope" from the available pathways, according to Jenny Francis, a Langara College instructor whose research focuses on career pathways for international students.

"I think it's important to stress that being an international student or being a prospective international student isn't a guarantee of permanent residence or a guarantee of citizenship," said Immigration Minister Marc Miller at a recent press conference.

Miller claimed there are only a few routes to permanent residency while speaking of "scrupulous agents" who entertain "false hope that if you can get into a program you can become a Canadian [citizen]".

In order to make it apparent that studying in Canada is "a chance to get permanent residency, but it's not a certain or guaranteed pathway by any means," Francis called on agents and universities to assume greater accountability.

"People don't just come to the country to study and then necessarily leave," he stated, emphasizing the necessity for pathways to be in place so that students can work in Canada after they graduate and possibly proceed toward permanent residency. 

The Canadian Bureau for International Education advocated for a "special stream" for foreign students within the immigration system in a submission to the IRCC earlier this year. This was part of a purposeful plan to make it easier for foreign students to obtain permanent residency.

Miller promised to release more information in "the coming months."

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