Overview

• Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge tabled a bill to address the surge in international students, which has risen from 50,000 in 2014 to 120,000 in 2023.
• Bill 74 seeks to give Quebec's government the power to cap international student numbers based on region, institution, and program criteria.
• The legislation is part of a broader effort to manage the province's non-permanent resident population, which has doubled in two years.
• Concerns have been raised about the impact on regional educational programs that rely on international students for viability.
• The bill follows recent tuition hikes for out-of-province students, aimed at reducing the number of non-French-speaking students in Quebec.