Canada’s number of languages-to-postsecondary pathways plummeted by over half in 2024 – with stakeholders concerned these figures speak to larger trends in the country’s international education sector.
Absence of international language students being felt in classrooms, as sector pins the blame on restrictive visa policies.
Outlook better for French language learning sector, which sees surge in enrolments as Canada pushes more French-speaking newcomers.
The 2024 annual report from Languages Canada found a 56% decline in languages-to-postsecondary pathways, raising worries about the knock-on effect on higher education.
“Language education is often the first step in an international student’s journey to postsecondary studies and eventually to becoming a contributing member of Canadian society,” Languages Canada executive director Gonzalo Peralta told The PIE News.
“When that first step is blocked or weakened, the entire pathway is compromised,” Peralta said, warning that without protection of pathway programs, Canada will see a “shrinking pipeline of qualified, well-prepared students” entering higher education.
Institutional revenue has also taken a hit, with direct economic contributions of member school students falling by 13% to CAD$1.04bn last year, putting an end to two years of post-Covid recovery.
As well as dampening the “vibrancy of Canadian classrooms”, the absence of international language students is being felt at the community level, specifically their contributions to tourism, retail and the cultural life of many smaller towns and cities, said Peralta.
“We’re not just losing tuition dollars; we’re losing the global connections and intercultural learning that make our communities stronger and more inclusive,” he added.
Following the implementation of study permit caps in January 2024, the sector has been hit with a barrage of federal policy changes damaging Canada’s reputation among international students.
“Once trust in a destination starts to shake, it’s hard to steady. And with the zig-zags in policies we’ve seen, Canada really can’t afford to fall behind on processing times and approval rates right now,” Saurabh Malhotra CEO of StudentDirect told The PIE News.
Delays and refusals are happening “across the board”, said Malhotra, citing anecdotal accounts of refusals for India reaching their highest levels in the last decade.
The dip in language enrolments will come as little surprise to stakeholders, who say visa processing delays and ongoing uncertainty around shifting immigration policies are worsening the situation.
According to Peralta, the visa delays stem from a myriad of factors; a post-pandemic surge in applications, evolving immigration policies and new administrative procedures including the study permit cap and changes around the attestation process.
And yet, “one of the few bright spots” was the uptick in French language programs, which saw an enrolment increase of 14%, driven by Canada’s push to attract more French-speaking newcomers to support Francophone minority communities.
Not only do these students help address labour shortages in such areas, but they also reinforce Canada’s identity as a bilingual nation, contributing to regional development and linguistic diversity, highlighted Peralta.
Notably, visa refusals and policy changes by the IRCC were named as the top challenges by 82% of Languages Canada’s near 200 member schools, whose students come to Canada using a range of different visas.
Last year, there was an 18% increase in the number of students entering Canada on temporary resident visas (TRVs) – also known as visitor visas – which allow individuals to say in the country for six months.
While TRVs accounted for 26% of students in 2024, 37% came for up to six months without requiring a visa, with just 19% using a study permit. The remainder had Canadian citizenship or permanent residence.
Canada cannot afford to lose its position of trust and leadership in international education
Gonzalo Peralta, Languages Canada
After years of dominance as the largest source region for members, South America was overtaken by Asia in 2024, which accounted for 42% of all students at member schools.
Despite a year-on-year drop, Japan retained its position as the largest source market. Elsewhere in the region, South Korea and Taiwan saw continued growth of 8% and 9% respectively.
The survey results come at a time of renewal for the sector, with language schools calling on the government for greater stability as they attempt to build back from 18 months of federal policy tumult.
Though the environment remains challenging, Peralta said he remained “optimistic” about the promise of a more coherent and strategic approach from Mark Carney’s government, who took office this April.
While it is still early days, Peralta welcomed encouraging language from the new government, signalling a “renewed appreciation” of international education and a willingness to listen.
More specifically, he emphasised language education was “not peripheral”, urging immigration minister Diab to recognise the “nuanced role” of language programs in the broader education and immigration ecosystems and to focus on solutions balancing integrity with accessibility.
