Maple News reports that British Columbia is implementing new measures to strengthen oversight and quality assurance within its international student program. The Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills has introduced updated guidelines intended to boost program integrity and ensure sustainability in the province’s education sector.
A key change is the introduction of a 30% enrollment cap for international students at public Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs). This means no more than 30% of the total student population at any public post-secondary institution in B.C. can consist of international students. The cap does not apply to private DLIs, which remain unaffected by this guideline.
This move is part of the province’s Education Quality Assurance (EQA) framework, aimed at maintaining high standards across post-secondary institutions. Alongside the enrollment cap, institutions are required to incorporate strategic international education plans that detail how they intend to comply with the limit.
The Ministry has stated that the majority of B.C.’s 25 public colleges and universities are already operating below the 30% threshold, suggesting that the policy may have minimal impact on institutions currently within the guideline. Nevertheless, the Ministry is offering transitional support to help institutions adapt recruitment practices and manage any potential financial effects.
It remains uncertain whether the new 30% cap will operate independently or in tandem with the federal cap introduced earlier this year through the use of Provincial Attestation Letters (PALs). PALs serve as proof that a student has been accepted by a DLI in a province and are now a requirement for securing a Canadian study permit.
British Columbia received an allocation of 83,000 PALs for 2024, as part of a federal initiative to control the number of study permits issued nationwide over the next two years. Of these, 53% are designated for public institutions and 47% for private institutions, in an effort to balance international student distribution across the province.
With B.C. being Canada’s third most populated province, following Ontario and Quebec, the provincial government has significant discretion over how PALs are shared among DLIs. The Ministry emphasizes that its approach aims to align international education growth with institutional capacity and long-term strategic planning.
By setting clear limits and requiring strategic planning, British Columbia is signaling a shift toward more controlled and sustainable international student enrollment — a move that could inspire similar policies across other Canadian provinces.