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International Education

International Student Program Changes

On Monday, January 22, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), unveiled significant modifications to Canada's International Student Program, which can be summarized as follows:

Points to Note

  • A cap on international students study permits, distributed by province
  • Reforms to the Post-Graduate Work Permit that will render students coming into public college private partnerships ineligible
  • Limits on Open Work Permits available to spouses of international students
Three women international students posing for photo outside wearing convocation gowns.

Lambton College's Response

While Lambton College commends the IRCC’s commitment to protecting students and the integrity of Canada’s International Student Program, we are deeply concerned about the impact these new measures will have on our students, our College and our community.

Lambton College takes great pride in our international education program and the role our international students and graduates play in our community. Sarnia-Lambton has been fortunate to welcome students from all around the world, and we are thankful for the diversity, innovation and economic contribution they bring to our region. 

In response to the IRCC’s announced changes, we are collaborating closely with the provinces 23 other public colleges as well as provincial and national associations to seek further clarification from government.

We are urging the federal government to continue to engage with us and our provincial government in meaningful conversation and hope that they will consider the effects of these recent measures on communities like Sarnia.

At this time, we are asking the Federal Government to consider the following requests:

  1. Extend the grace period and continue processing student visas until March 31, 2024, considering the immediate impact on students and employers.
  2. Exemptions from the cap for students in programs where there is great demand in labour markets, including programs that address significant demand for employees in healthcare, home building, energy, engineering technology, early childhood education, cyber security, etc.
  3. An exemption for Lambton College’s Public College – Private Partners (PCPP), Cestar College and Queen’s College, in the Post-Graduate Work Permit program restrictions based on the proven excellence of their programs, student and graduate support services, as well as their positive impact on the province’s workforces and communities.

Our College has always been agile and innovative, and as we learn more about how this new policy will be implemented, we are confident that we will successfully pivot and a find a path forward. We will continue to actively engage with all levels of government in finding effective solutions and assist our students in any way possible.

Helpful Links

Below is a list of links students can review to learn more about this announcement:

Frequently Asked Questions

This information is current as of February 14, 2024 and will be updated as and when more information becomes available

Do these changes impact international students who are already studying in Canada?
No, these changes impact prospective students who will apply for their study permit after 22-January-2024 and/or those who will begin a study program starting 1-September-2024 as part of a curriculum licensing agreement. In the weeks ahead, please note that open work permits will only be available to spouses of international students in master's and doctoral programs; the spouses of international students in other levels of study, including undergraduate and college programs, will no longer be eligible.For more information, including potential forthcoming changes to spousal work permit eligibility, please refer to the official IRCC news release.
Does Lambton College offer programs that are part of a curriculum licensing agreement?
Programs offered at our main Sarnia campus and at our Center for Graduate Studies in Ottawa are not delivered as part of a curriculum licensing agreement. Lambton College programs offered in Toronto (at the Cestar College campus) and in Mississauga (at the Queen's College campus) are delivered as part of a curriculum licensing agreement.
Is Lambton College currently accepting international applications?
Yes, we are currently accepting international applications for the September 2024 intake in Sarnia and Ottawa. At the time of IRCC's announcement, recruitment for our May 2024 intake - as well as many individual programs in the September 2024 intake - were already closed for admission.
Do these changes impact prospective international students who are joining Lambton College in the May 2024 intake?
Prospective students who applied or received their study permit before 22-January-2024 are not affected by these changes. If you have not already submitted a study permit application to IRCC, your application will now be subject to the new attestation letter requirement effective 22-January-2024. We look forward to sharing more information about Ontario's attestation letter process when available. For more information, please refer to the official IRCC news release .
I have applied and received admission to Lambton in Toronto (at the Cestar College campus) or Lambton in Mississauga (at the Queen's College campus) for the May 2024 intake. Am I eligible to apply for a Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) after graduation?
Yes, international students at all Lambton College study locations (including Toronto and Mississauga) who have been admitted for the May 2024 intake are eligible to apply for a PGWP upon graduation. Changes to PGWP eligibility only apply to curriculum licensing agreement programs for students who start their program on or after 1-September-2024. Please refer to the IRCC website for more information about PGWP eligibility.
What is an attestation letter, who needs one, and how do I apply?
As of 22-January-2024 most study permit applications submitted to IRCC must be accompanied by an attestation letter from the Province or Territory of your intended study. Provinces and Territories are expected to establish a process for issuing attestation letters to students by no later than 31-March-2024. For more information about the study permit application process, please refer to the Government of Canada website.
As a current international student in Canada, do I require an attestation letter to extend my study permit?
No, students who are extending their study permit do not require an attestation letter. For more information about the study permit application process, please refer to the Government of Canada website.

On September 18, 2024, Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), outlined several changes to Canada's international student program. The following FAQ resource aims to summarize these latest policy updates, outline their impact on current and prospective international students, and provide guidance on how Lambton College is adapting to these changes. A video FAQ is also available.

This information is current as of October 15, 2024.

What was included in the announcement?

Starting 1-November-2024, study permit applicants pursuing college credentials will only be eligible for a PGWP if their program is deemed to meet labour market need. IRCC has already shared a list of eligible fields of study, and we expect program eligibility information to be added very soon. PGWP applicants after 1-November-2024 will also need to demonstrate their English or French language proficiency with a score equivalent to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) Level 5.

Changes were also made with respect to Canada's international student enrolment cap, Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) requirements for Master's and PhD applicants, Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP) eligibility, and more. We encourage you to review the full announcement.

Why were these changes necessary?

International students are incredibly important to Canada's economic growth and prosperity, which is why a further 427,000 international students will be welcomed to our country in 2025. We need international students to thrive academically and successfully integrate into Canada's workforce after graduation. For this reason, Canada's federal government is incentivizing students (through PGWP eligibility) to choose programs that are specifically aligned with Canada's long-term labour needs.

I'm a current international student. How do these changes impact me?

Excellent news - international students who are currently in Canada, and those who apply for their study permit before November 1, 2024, are NOT impacted by the PGWP eligibility changes. You will, however, be required to submit a language proficiency score (minimum CLB 5) with your future PGWP application. Lambton College, along with our International Graduate Services & Support Center (IGSSC), is already helping our current international students navigate these changes. Please contact the student services staff at your study location for further information.

I'm a prospective international student. How do these changes impact me?

International students who apply for their study permit before November 1, 2024 are NOT impacted by the PGWP eligibility changes. For those who apply after November 1, 2024, you will be required to graduate from a program within an eligible field of study in order to maintain PGWP eligibility. We expect program further program eligibility information to be shared very soon. Please contact our Center for Global Engagement at international@lambtoncollege.ca for further information.

How is Lambton College responding to this announcement?

We continue to work closely with provincial and federal levels of government to gather more information about the announced changes and their impact, particularly with respect to which programs are deemed PGWP-eligible. Lambton College has always offered highly specialized programs with practical work integration, state-of-practice labs, labour market alignment, and outstanding graduate outcomes. We expect a majority of our programs to maintain PGWP eligibility and look forward to sharing more information as it becomes available.

For students joining Lambton College in the Winter 2025 intake, we encourage you to submit your study permit application before November 1, 2024 to maintain PGWP eligibility under the current regulations.

Why hasn't Lambton College published a list of its PGWP-eligible programs yet?

Discrepancies in CIP code mapping have been identified across the college sector and standardization efforts are currently underway. We are also awaiting crucial information on how program eligibility will be verified at the PGWP application stage. At this time, institutions have been advised NOT to share their own presumptive list of eligible programs.

It has come to our attention that some institutions have still chosen to release their own self-determined lists; however, we do not believe this action is in the best interest of prospective students who are making crucial decisions about their future. Students deserve accurate, verified information when choosing a program that will support their PGWP-eligibility. Lambton College will continue to relay official updates as soon as they become available.

For more info, refer to the IRCC News Release