Canadian Bureau for International Education is leading an effort to try to save Canada’s reputation as a top destination in the face of drastic cuts.

Almost two years after Ottawa made a 180-degree turn to rein in international students, Saskatchewan Polytechnic president Larry Rosia has a new problem to worry about.

International enrolment has taken a nosedive in Canada ever since the federal government cut and capped the number of study permits, and put restrictions on work permits and permanent residence. The immediate impacts have been felt by colleges and universities across the country, and Rosia’s college has faced tuition revenue losses, staff layoffs and program cancellations.

But another challenge is that some schools are having trouble just filling out the limited quotas they receive.

“In the face of policy uncertainties, shifting political priorities, increasing anti-immigration sentiments and global competition from emerging global study destinations, Canada’s position now as a global leader is rapidly diminishing,” said Rosia. “That’s going to pose longer-term challenges for Canada as we look to recruit talent.”

Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s international enrolment has dropped by 40 per cent from 4,300, leading to a $15 million budget shortfall this year; it has issued layoff notices to 87 full- and part-time staff and 14 managers, and cancelled 17 programs. The school will take “a further hit” when the current group of international students graduates, Rosia added.

The same story has echoed across Canada from coast to coast as the $38.6 billion international education sector was hit by a sharp decline in international enrolment. Ontario alone has seen 10,000-plus layoffs and more than 600 programs cancelled at its 24 public colleges, according to an analysis by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.

With Ottawa’s most recent five-year international education strategy having expired in March 2024, and in the absence of a national vision, the education sector is coming together to try to save Canada’s reputation as a top destination.

On Monday, the Canadian Bureau for International Education, a national not-for-profit advocating for Canadian international education, will launch a digital and social media campaign meant to restore the trust in the Canadian brand.

“If you keep talking about massage parlours and substandard education, diploma mills … all of that language undermines the perceived quality of a country whose education system continues to be world-class in quality,” said Larissa Bezo, the bureau’s president and CEO.

Bezo was referring to the remarks by former immigration minister Marc Miller, who in January 2024 slammed the brakes on the runaway growth of the international education program in response to public backlash against high immigration, especially international students, amid the housing and affordability crisis.

Miller imposed a 35 per cent reduction in new study permits in 2024 — and a further 10 per cent cut in 2025 — and restricted the work hours of international students, as well as postgraduation work permit eligibility and access to permanent residence.

“You leave the impression that there are no opportunities,” said Bezo. “These are the kinds of things that need to be addressed, not to mention much of the misinformation. There’s a lot of these myths that need to be busted, like international talent are taking the spaces of Canadian students. There are a lot of these false narratives out there.”

Bezo said since the fall of 2024, following the caps and policy changes, Canadian institutions have announced 35 campus closures, 863 program cancellations/suspensions and thousands of job losses. Not only are schools receiving fewer applications, but higher study permit refusal rates and lengthier processing times have led to allotted quotas unfilled.

There are currently just over 800,000 international students in the country, down from one million in 2023. This year, Ottawa has set a target to issue 305,900 study permits, but two-thirds of those are going to students already in Canada, seeking extensions, said ApplyBoard, an online marketplace for learning institutions and international students.

According to the Immigration Department, new international student arrivals dropped by 132,505 in the first eight months of 2025 to just 89,430.

“That’s what tells the real story because that’s the future pipeline,” warned Bezo. The international education market is no longer dominated by a handful of countries, with top 15 to 20 destinations now competitive, she added.

Yet, she said, “the Canada brand has always been incredibly strong. Canada stood for something. There were values that underpin that.”

Although Alberta has been allocated more spots to grow its international enrolment despite the caps, schools in the province still get affected by the negative narrative about Canada, said Doug Weir, acting vice-provost and associate vice-president (international) at the University of Alberta.

The research-intensive university has worked hard to support international students with efforts such as guaranteed housing and tuition, and assistance in study permit applications. While its international enrolment has been on par with last year, the demand for higher education is on a trajectory that Weir is not happy with.

“It can’t be a global university without a global reach and global perspectives in your classrooms and in your residences,” he said. “It’s important for us that students who are thinking about going outside their own country for studies will continue to consider Canada.”

But without the easy access to postgraduation work permits and clear permanent residence pathways, what can Canada do to lure international students back?

Niagara College president Sean Kennedy said Canada has remained a safe and welcoming country known for its progressive values, cultural diversity and quality education.

“The messaging to the world through this campaign will be, ‘Come and grow your future as a global citizen,’” said Kennedy, whose school saw international applications drop by half and lost 40 per cent of international enrolment in the past year.

For graduates, that could mean returning home after an amazing education and international experience or staying and working for those who fall in love with Canada, he said.

“Both paths are really laudable, commendable and worth considering,” Kennedy noted. “It’s a bit more of a balanced approach. What we’re offering here is a chance to grow your skills and knowledge and expertise, but also to grow as a person.” (The Star)