No more automatic visas for public college graduates jeopardizes economy: Colleges Ontario [Video]

The group representing public colleges in Ontario says a further tightening of work permits for international students “jeopardizes” the province’s ability to meet “pressing labour market needs” as colleges come to terms with significantly reduced complements of foreign students.

Marketa Evans, the president and CEO of Colleges Ontario, wrote an open letter to the federal government Tuesday, urging Ottawa to reconsider its work permit cap and suggesting the new rules will hurt the province’s economy.

In mid-September, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller announced a further reduction in the number of international students and a move to “better align” graduate study permits with “labour market needs.”

That realignment means that international students attending public colleges in Ontario will no longer be automatically eligible for a work permit — and will instead have to qualify in one of the federal government’s list of priority areas to stay.

“Ontario’s public college graduates are integral to solving well known …