International Students Still at King’s and Redeemer After New Government Rules

New rules limiting the number of international students admitted to undergraduate university programs in Canada take effect this fall. Canada’s federal government introduced the restrictions in January, reducing the total number of undergraduate international students by about 35%. The King’s University and Redeemer University, schools with ties to the Christian Reformed Church, have had to make adjustments to prepare for the changes, but at King’s the number of international undergraduates is actually going up.

The restrictions include a two-year cap on study permit applications and stricter eligibility criteria for post-graduation work permits. As part of these changes, every study permit application will now require an attestation letter from a province or territory. According to Marc Miller, minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, these steps are to ensure “the integrity of our immigration system while setting students up for the success they hope for.” The moves are also meant to alleviate some pressure for housing in heavily populated cities.

Gbemi Adegbesan, director of Admissions and Student Recruitment at The King’s University in Edmonton, Alta., said, “At first, we were worried that it might really affect international students.” She noted that King’s has an advantage because Edmonton is a relatively affordable city and has an international airport—making it more accessible for international students. She said, “Despite all of the roadblocks, there is a 90% increase in international student enrollment (at King’s) this year” compared to last year.

King’s has over 900 students, with about 10% of them international students, coming from many regions including West Africa and South Asia. Adegbesan said the Alberta Provincial Government has reached out numerous times to ask King’s how they can support their international students, providing well over 100 letters of attestation for the 2024/25 academic year. (That’s more than the current number of undergraduate international students enrolled, meaning they have enough for students still working on applications or figuring out logistics.)

“We continue to stay hopeful and we’re proud of what we’ve done so far,” Adegbesan said.

At Redeemer University in Ancaster, Ont., international students make up from 2% to 5% of the student body each year. In the 2023/24 academic year, Redeemer welcomed international students from 32 countries, with the U.S. as the largest contributor. Eighteen of those students were newly enrolled international students. For the 2024/25 academic year, Ontario has issued only 16 letters of attestation to Redeemer, meaning the number of new international students they can accept has slightly decreased.

International students are “an important and valued part” of the school’s student body, Redeemer said in a statement provided by Josh Sieders, associate vice president of marketing and communications. Not only do they contribute significantly to Redeemer's revenue—international student tuition is $19,494 CAD while domestic student tuition is $9,987—the students add “to the richness that a diversity of cultures and experiences contributes to the learning environment,” the statement said.

“Redeemer has been careful about international recruitment, understanding the significant resources needed to care for and support these students well,” the statement said. For the 16 attestation letters, Redeemer is “pleased that the Province sees the value of welcoming international students to Ontario to experience the integration of faith and learning at Redeemer.”

While the cap on incoming international students might affect the bottom line, it “also creates significant concern for international student applicants who are applying for their study permit,” the Redeemer statement said. “The university will continue to support international applicants individually as they navigate this challenging situation.”

The school also intends to offer its first graduate degrees within the next two years, which is expected to attract more international students to Redeemer.

Christian universities across Canada are variously affected by the new rules, depending on location and each school’s relative percentage of international students. Christianity Today published a story at the end of July about the expected effect on several schools.