Toronto-area international students have mixed feelings about visa cap, say system needs review

At a bustling college campus west of Toronto, several students had been thinking about recently announced changes to the international student program that brought them to the post-secondary institution.

At a bustling college campus west of Toronto, several students had been thinking about recently announced changes to the international student program that brought them to the post-secondary institution.

Some were sympathizing with friends back home whose dreams of studying in Canada were suddenly in jeopardy as Ottawa has moved to cap the number of study permits for international undergraduate students over the next two years. Others called it a sensible move as Canada aims to get a handle on the ballooning international student program.

There was a general consensus, however, that the program needs to be reviewed.

For Gayathri Jayachandrakurup Sreeja, who came to Ontario from India just last month to begin a marketing program, the changes had her thinking of those she knew with similar aspirations of a Canadian education.

"They are pretty much sad about it," she said while between classes at Sheridan College's campus in Mississauga, Ont.

"There are a lot of students who are willing to come here and study, set their future, so I think it's pretty bad for them."

Haritha Kaladharan, another international student from India who is studying business and process management, agreed that the changes were disappointing many she knew back home.