New B.C. post-secondary schools won’t be allowed to enroll international students for 2 years

The B.C. government says it’s going to stop approving the establishment of new post-secondary institutions that want to recruit international students for the next two years.

Advanced Education Minister Selina Robinson says it’s part of a move to improve the quality of post-secondary education in the province.

“International students come here for a good education but too many are being exploited or taken advantage of,” Robinson said.

“That’s why we’re introducing more stringent requirements for institutions and robust safeguards to protect international students against bad actors, provide them with a better path to success, and make sure B.C. continues to attract the talented students we need to fill significant gaps in the labour market and drive our economy forward.”

As part of a suite of changes to the province’s higher education sector, the pause of new institutions will continue until February 2026.

The province is also enhancing compliance and enforcement of post-secondary institutes; introducing higher standards for private degree programs; implementing new language requirements for those private institutions; and requiring institutions to publicly post tuition fees for students.

According to the province, more than 545,000 post-secondary students study in B.C., including more than 175,000 from overseas. Approximately 82,000 of those international students learn at public institutions, with the majority — 94,000 — studying at private institutions.

Earlier this month, the federal government announced a cap on the number of international student visas it’ll be issuing for the next two years.

Robinson says the province is working with the government on implementing the new processes to limit visas.

“Together we’re making these changes to benefit international students who come to B.C. from another country, and to put an end to those bad actors who are hurting people and hurting B.C.’s reputation.”

Robinson explains that the number of international students in B.C. has steadily risen over the last decade, however, it has seen an “explosion” since 2020 and the reopening of national borders.