Under this new policy, Ontario medical schools must reserve at least 95% of admissions for local residents, with the remaining slots allocated to students from other Canadian regions.

The Ontario government will cover tuition fees for more than 1,000 students who commit to becoming family doctors in the province, Premier Doug Ford announced during a recent press conference.

“I just went through all of our colleges and universities and found that 18 percent of the students around the world are taking our kids’ seats and they’re not staying here, they’re going back to their country,” Ford said, as quoted by The news of the Pie.

According to provincial data, international students accounted for just 10 of Ontario’s 2,833 medical students for the 2023/24 academic year, accounting for 0.26% of the total.

Health Minister Sylvia Jones, who attended the event, said the change would have “minimal impact” on overall enrolment, as about 88 per cent of Ontario’s medical school seats are already filled by provincial residents. She clarified that the new policy is not an outright ban, and medical schools would still be allowed to admit international students in rare cases where seats remain unfilled, CBC reported.

Earlier this month, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced updated eligibility guidelines for university programs that qualify for postgraduate work permits, effective immediately. Under these new regulations, international students applying for a study permit must choose programs in fields experiencing labor shortages to qualify for the Postgraduate Work Permit (PGWP), reducing their previous flexibility in selection programs.

For college graduates and students in non-degree programs, eligibility is limited to five key areas: agriculture and agri-food, health, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), skilled trades and transportation.

Ford’s announcement reignited concerns about how potential international students perceive Canada as a destination, underscoring the need for efforts to strengthen and restore Canada’s educational reputation.

Gautham Kolluri, founder of study abroad agency CIP, slammed Ford’s claim as “completely absurd”.

“There are almost no international students entering medical schools in Ontario. Admission is very competitive and priority is given to domestic students,” said Kolluri. “I’ve heard that less than 1% are accepted, and I haven’t met or seen any international students admitted to an Ontario medical school,” he said. The news of the Pie.

Canada attracted 1,040,985 international students on active study permits last year, a 29% increase over the previous year and exceeding the government’s target of 950,000 students.

India and China remain the main contributors to Canada’s international student population with 427,085 and 101,150 students respectively. The Philippines follows with 48,870 students, while Vietnam ranks eighth with 17,175.