The number of foreign students studying at universities in Atlantic Canada has dropped by nearly 48 per cent since 2024, a steeper decline than the federal government intended and a reflection of the body blow Canada’s reputation has suffered on the international education market.
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reputation → study → market
The Association of Atlantic Universities’ annual enrolment survey offers one of the first looks at postsecondary education trends in Canada for the 2026-2027 academic year.
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survey → offer → year
This fall’s survey – much like last year’s – shows that East Coast schools that used to rely on high tuition paid by foreign students continue to struggle.
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that → show → students
“Atlantic Canada is the most severe example of a huge challenge we see across the country, which is our universities are fighting to make Canada competitive again in the race for international talent,” said Gabriel Miller, president and chief executive officer of Universities Canada, which represents postsecondary institutions nationwide.
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which → see → institutions
“That’s taking an enormous amount of work and a lot of time because of the damage that was done by radical changes made by the previous federal government.
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that → take → government
In January of 2024, the Liberal government of Justin Trudeau began capping the number of international study permits it would grant annually.
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it → begin → permits
The policy change was one of several Ottawa made in the ensuing months and years to curb an international student program that had grown so large it sparked a public backlash over temporary residents competing for housing, jobs and health care.
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it → make → housing
But many in Canada’s higher-education sector say the pendulum has swung too far in the opposite direction.
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pendulum → say → direction
The federal government’s target is to receive 155,000 new international students this calendar year.
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target → receive → students
As of the end of July, only 28,200 had arrived.
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28,200 → arrive → July
“I will go as far as to say that if we don’t have population growth in the Atlantic region, it could jeopardize some of the big programs that the prime minister has announced in national defence [and] in energy,” said David Dingwall, the president of Cape Breton University and a former Liberal cabinet minister.
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Dingwall → go → University
“You need people.
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You → need → people
You need intelligent people, and without that, we are in a very difficult situation in the Atlantic.”
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we → need → Atlantic
Cape Breton University has seen the most precipitous decline in foreign students of any university in the Atlantic region, according to the preliminary enrolment survey.
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University → see → survey
In 2023-2024, when international enrolment was at its peak, nearly 7,000 full-time visa students studied at the institution in Sydney, N.S.
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students → study → Sydney
This year, 1,388 full-time visa students are enrolled at Cape Breton University.
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students → enrol → University
International student enrolment has also declined at some of the largest universities in Eastern Canada, including Dalhousie University in Halifax, the University of New Brunswick and Memorial University of Newfoundland.
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enrolment → decline → Newfoundland
Ava Czapalay, chief executive officer of the Association of Atlantic Universities, said fewer overseas students are applying because of Canada’s tarnished reputation and because they fear visa requirements might change again.
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requirements → say → reputation
On top of that, Ms. Czapalay said federal visa officers are rejecting international students bound for Atlantic universities at rates higher than for universities in larger provinces.
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officers → say → provinces
“We don’t know why that is,” Ms. Czapalay said, “since our universities offer a great program, great experience, great value for money.”
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universities → know → money
In a March report on international student program reforms, federal Auditor-General Karen Hogan noted that smaller provinces were “disproportionately impacted” by lower study permit approvals, although colleges were hit harder than universities.
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colleges → note → universities
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the department that processes visa applications, told The Globe and Mail by e-mail Wednesday that it recently provided a list of best practices to designated colleges and universities about what they can do to improve the quality of study permit applications.
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they → process → applications
“Designated learning institutions are responsible for their own recruitment and enrolment practices, which affect study permit approval rates,” spokesman Jeffrey MacDonald said.
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MacDonald → designate → rates
He also said policy changes designed to raise the share of international students in higher-level programs “have shown promising initial results,” with university students accounting for 40 per cent of new study permit holders in 2025, up from 30 per cent the year before.
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students → say → cent
“We think that is a positive sign because our universities offer an exceptional first-year experience for undergraduate students,” Ms. Czapalay said.
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Czapalay → think → students
The Aporia
