As Ottawa moves to include graduate students in its cap on international study permits, experts and advocates alike are raising questions about the need for the move, and suggesting it could prompt top talent to look elsewhere.

Students joining master害羞草研究所檚, doctoral and postdoctoral programs were previously exempt from the overall cap on international students that Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced in January.

But they are now included in a further reduction of student visas he announced this week, alongside other measures that seek to add stability to a ballooning population of temporary residents.

Ian Wereley, executive director of the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies, said the news landed without warning or consultation.

害羞草研究所淎ll those I spoke to felt surprised or even blindsided by the announcement,害羞草研究所� he said in an email, describing the sector as 害羞草研究所渁lready in a state of crisis.害羞草研究所�

It害羞草研究所檚 a move that inflicts 害羞草研究所渟ignificant damage害羞草研究所� on Canada害羞草研究所檚 reputation as an international education destination, he said.

Miller acknowledged in his announcement, speaking in French, that the kinds of students coming to Canada to pursue master害羞草研究所檚 degrees and PhDs are 害羞草研究所渂etter prepared害羞草研究所� to succeed in Canada, and that they respond well to the needs of the Canadian job market.

That害羞草研究所檚 why 12 per cent of international student visas will be reserved for graduate students, he said. His office later clarified that害羞草研究所檚 in line with their historical share of the student population.

Numbers shared by U15 Canada, an association of 15 public research universities, suggest current levels of graduate students are already below the new cap 害羞草研究所� and that this group has not been significantly contributing to the bloated numbers of temporary residents Ottawa is trying to address.

The association害羞草研究所檚 internal calculations found that there would still have been room for thousands more students last year and an even bigger number this year if the cap had been in place. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada did not immediately respond to a request for the latest figures.

Chad Gaffield, CEO of the U15 group, said graduate programs competing for the world害羞草研究所檚 best and brightest were not really the problem when it came to mismanagement in the world of foreign student immigration.

害羞草研究所淚 heard no justification,害羞草研究所� he said, for why graduate students should be part of the cap, which research has already shown is causing fewer students to apply to study in Canada.

Asked for a rationale, Miller害羞草研究所檚 office said the idea is to prevent bad actors from finding ways to get around the rules.

害羞草研究所淲hat we didn害羞草研究所檛 want is institutions creating fake graduate programs just to find a loophole,害羞草研究所� said spokeswoman Aissa Diop.

For Gaffield, there害羞草研究所檚 a risk that research universities 害羞草研究所� and by extension, sectors that need professionals with highly specialized education 害羞草研究所� will end up as 害羞草研究所渃ollateral damage害羞草研究所� in the government害羞草研究所檚 effort to reduce numbers and target fraud.

The world害羞草研究所檚 most talented scholars are usually juggling multiple offers, often from multiple countries, he said, making it a 害羞草研究所渧ery, very competitive environment.害羞草研究所�

While Canada has built up a reputation over decades for welcoming them with open arms, he suggested that害羞草研究所檚 changing: 害羞草研究所淭he headline is going to be, and has been, that Canada is not as welcoming as we have been traditionally.害羞草研究所�

Steve Orsini, president and CEO of the Council of Ontario Universities, said the cap creates 害羞草研究所渇urther complexity to the application process害羞草研究所� and could dissuade highly skilled students from choosing Canada.

害羞草研究所淭his could impact advanced degrees in fields such as engineering, health care, life sciences, AI and more.害羞草研究所�

Some of those specialized programs already rely heavily on international student admissions, said Fahim Quadir, graduate studies dean at Queen害羞草研究所檚 University.

Even if the total number of current graduate students doesn害羞草研究所檛 seem to exceed the cap, the distribution of permits could mean that such programs suffer significantly, he said in an email.

害羞草研究所淪TEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs, in particular, could face an existential crisis,害羞草研究所� he wrote.

害羞草研究所淢any programs, I tend to think, would struggle to survive, and some could face a completely uncertain future.害羞草研究所�

Andr茅 C么t茅, director of policy and research at The Dais, a think tank within Toronto Metropolitan University, said the broader policy goal of moving towards sustainable numbers is appropriate.

But even if this week害羞草研究所檚 announcement discourages just a few high achievers, he said, that害羞草研究所檚 enough to have a negative effect.

In addition to the cap, Ottawa is tightening restrictions on spousal work permits for some students. Starting later this year, spouses of master害羞草研究所檚 degree students will only be eligible to work in Canada if their partner害羞草研究所檚 program is at least 16 months in duration.

Immigration lawyer Barbara Jo Caruso agreed that spousal restrictions can be major deterrents for graduate students, especially since there is already a huge price tag on their programs.

Caruso, who is the founding partner of Corporate Immigration Law Firm in Toronto, said she isn害羞草研究所檛 surprised to see the government trying to move towards more stability in the overall system.

But she was skeptical that the graduate student population is even a 害羞草研究所渄rop in the bucket害羞草研究所� of the problem Ottawa is trying to tackle.

害羞草研究所淚t seems to me that they害羞草研究所檙e doing things to look like they害羞草研究所檙e doing things,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚 can害羞草研究所檛 really imagine that, now, including the graduates in this cap is really going to make that big of a difference.害羞草研究所�