The British Columbia government issued new standards for public post-secondary education institutions, regulating the number of international students to 30% of overall enrolment.
According to a statement from the province Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, the new limit is intended to ensure that “international student enrolment does not strain an institution’s ability to provide appropriate services.” 

The ministry says the new guidelines require public universities and colleges to submit international education strategic plans to the government, which the province will monitor to ensure the cap is respected. 

Schools such as the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, and the University of Victoria say their international student enrolments do not exceed the 30% limit, and the change will have no effect on operations. 

Kwantlen Polytechnic University exceeded the quota set for 2023-24 by 36%, but officials say the school year began before the federal government limited overseas students to 360,000 this year, a 35% fall from 2023. Zena Mitchell, the university’s vice president, said in a statement that the B.C. government standards met their expectations. 

According to the government, the recommendations will go into effect this month, with schools required to comply over the next year. According to the British Columbia government, the cap is also intended “to help ensure that enrolment levels do not put pressure on local communities.” 

There were several concerns raised by the regional people regarding the possible loss of learning opportunities to the foreign students. Addressing the same the government officials drafted a solution that prioritized the admissions for the local communities and capped the limit of international admissions to 30%.