As Canada sees a growing unemployment crisis, Immigration Minister Marc Miller says that the country has thought about putting a cap on the number of international students living in the country.
The minister didn’t specify the extent of reduction the govt is planning on making in the immigration system. He says he will be looking at the possibility of setting a cap on international students to help reduce the demand for housing in both the first and second quarters of this year.
On the number of international students coming to Canada, far outpacing the number of homes the federal government is planning to help build, Miller also said housing is only part of the calculation when it comes to immigration targets. The pressing need to bring down the average age of the workforce also needs to be taken into consideration, he said.
Miller said a cap on international students is something the federal government is considering and will continue to consider.
federal government has faced criticism for welcoming an increasing number of immigrants–both permanent and temporary residents, while the country faces an acute housing shortage.
Temporary residents, largely comprising international students and migrant workers, are another part of the equation, with more than 300,000 of them arriving in Canada in just the third quarter of last year.
