Immigration minister says that 56,000 study permits were approved in the first stage

The immigration minister of Canada, Marco Mendicino, gave an update to international students on September 22, 2020. He provided two important details about the webinar.

According to Mendicino, Canada has already distributed 56,000 first stage approvals to candidates submitted study permit applications. Moreover, the minister also said that the federal government, under the leadership of Health Canada, is still working with designated learning institutions to identify ways by which it will be possible to welcome international students to campuses physically during the pandemic.

Initiatives to help international students

Mendicino says that Minister Patty Hajdu is constantly working to make sure that each designated learning institution (DLI) has satisfied all the public health requirements stipulated by the province and territory in which they are located. This rigorous approach will help guarantee the health and safety of students as they resume their studies.

DLIs refer to colleges, universities, and other educational institutions that have secured federal and provincial government approval to invite international students to the campus. There are some DLIs that have shown an interest in allowing international students on the campus despite the pandemic. However, the country’s travel restrictions currently make it impossible for international students to travel to Canada.

The discussions currently going on among Health Canada, the provinces, the territories, and the DLIs want to identify if DLIs will be able to follow quarantine plans and implement social distancing rules safely. Unless they are able to do so successfully, it will be difficult to welcome international students in the near future. At the moment, Canada has introduced major policy reforms to help international students follow their dreams of studying in Canada.