KEY TAKEAWAYS
• The Immigration Minister Marc Miller has introduced restrictive measures to reduce the increasing number of international students, which include capping the number of study permits issued annually.
• The government aims to bring down the number of study permits approved to 360,000, marking a significant 35% decrease from 2023.
• The new caps on approved study permits will be effective for two years, starting January 2024, with an assessment being scheduled for 2025.
In response to concerns about the surge in international student numbers, the Canadian government, led by Minister Marc Miller, has announced caps on the number of approved study permits, which will be effective for two years, entering force as of January 2024.
According to a press release by the authority, the new measure is expected to bring the number of study permits approved to 360,000 �` 35 per cent less than in 2023. Provinces will have caps based on their populations, excluding renewals and certain educational pursuits, VisaGuide.World reports.
Today, we are announcing additional measures to protect a system that has become so lucrative that it has opened a path for its abuse. Enough is enough. Through the decisive measures announced today, we are striking the right balance for Canada and ensuring the integrity of our immigration system while setting students up for the success they hope for.
Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Starting January 22, 2024, all study permit applications to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) must

include an attestation letter from the relevant province or territory. Provinces are expected to have a process for issuing these letters by March 31, 2024.
The government will work with provinces, territories, and educational institutions to create a sustainable plan for international students. This involves finalizing a recognized institution framework, determining long-term student levels, and ensuring adequate and sufficient housing in post-secondary institutions.
On the other, changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program will enter into force from September 1, 2024. This means that international students in curriculum licensing arrangements will no longer be eligible for post-graduation work permits.
Meanwhile, graduates of short graduate-level programs will now be eligible for a three-year work permit, and open work permits will be exclusive to spouses of international students in master’s and doctoral programs.
Indian students, who represent the largest number of international students in Canada, will be most affected by the measure. In 2023, they accounted for 215,190 out of the 579,075 permits issued or 37 percent of the total.
In the previous year, they represented 41 per cent of all of those who obtained Canada study permits, compromising 225,835 out of 548,785 study permits. The numbers have soared over the past five years when the number of Indians obtaining study permits was less than half the actual numbers �` around 107,070 in 2018. V.5187

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast trac V.6139
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One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
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A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

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On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

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The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
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1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
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Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
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