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Montreal. – Canada has  announced a two-year cap on international student visas to ease the pressure on housing, health care and other services at a time of record immigration.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller said that there will be a 35 percent reduction in new study visas in 2024.

He said that institutions offering “sham” degrees have exploited the international students program, putting pressure on housing and health care. 

“It’s a bit of a mess, and it’s time to rein it in,” Miller said.

The number of new visas handed out will be capped at 364 000. Nearly 560 000 such visas were issued last year.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Cabinet retreat in Montreal this week will prioritize affordability and housing,.

The government said that there are about 1 million foreign students in the country now, and without any intervention this number would keep increasing. The total number of foreign students is more than three times what it was a decade ago. Miller said that officials have been working on stabilizing the number of people entering the country yearly as housing pressures mount.

Canada grew by about 1 million people last year, reaching a record of 40 million, as many Canadians struggle with an increased cost of living, including rents and mortgages.