On January 31, Michael Wales, Director, Communications was interviewed by the NOTL Local to discuss how international student restrictions will impact the Niagara community. This coverage also syndicated to Thorold Today and Pelham Today.
In the article, Wales says although he understands the motivation behind the changes to the program, agrees, “they were rushed, and they lacked meaningful consultation.”
An immediate concern with the spring term, Wales adds, is a new requirement for a “letter of attestation,” effective immediately, and applying to all study permit applications.
“Provincial attestation letters serve as confirmation that an applicant has met the provincial requirements for study,” said Wales. “There is currently no system in place to generate these documents in Ontario, or any province outside of Quebec. This has essentially created a moratorium on study permit applications. It has also created significant uncertainty and worry for students, and we’re assessing the potential impact on our spring term enrolment.”
Wales also notes that the new measures don’t seem to take into account the role colleges play and what international students bring to our community as they study programs in areas such as healthcare, hospitality and tourism, and skilled trades. He notes, “[Restricting the admission of those students] will have an impact right here in Niagara. This will compound the shortages that already exist,” as many international students typically go on to work in those fields.
Read the January 31 article here.
