The province announced on Monday that it is “taking action to eliminate exploitive practices,” including a two-year pause on approvals for new post-secondary institutions seeking to enroll international students.

The Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills in the province, Selina Robinson, stated, “We are safeguarding students and actively working to eliminate unscrupulous individuals taking advantage of these students!” As part of the announced measures, there will be a two-year halt on approvals for new post-secondary institutions seeking to enroll international students. Additionally, British Columbia will conduct more frequent inspections of private post-secondary institutions to ensure adherence to enhanced quality standards and proper support for students.

The Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills in the province highlighted that programs seeking approval will be subject to elevated standards. These include enhanced assessment criteria for degree quality, a demonstrated labor-market demand for graduates, and the provision of adequate resources and student support. Minister Robinson communicated these updates during a press conference held in the town of Surrey.

The province is actively addressing exploitative practices and enhancing the quality of post-secondary education by fortifying quality standards and implementing additional safeguards for international students in British Columbia, as stated in the release. Minister Robinson emphasized, “International students come here for a good education, but too many are being exploited or taken advantage of.” The release further highlighted that these new requirements aim to prevent institutions from exploiting international students and will revoke the ability of private institutions to host international students if they fail to meet the provincial standards for quality education.