By
Latiifah Amusan
Canada has announced a significant increase in the “cost-of-living financial requirement for study permit applicants” for international students, with Nigerians expected to feel the impact.
Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, Marc Miller, revealed in a statement on Thursday that the financial threshold for study permit applicants would double, rising from $10,000 to $20,000, effective January 1, 2024.
Miller emphasized the adjustment as a measure to ensure that international students are adequately prepared financially for their life in Canada.
According to the statement, a single applicant will be required to demonstrate $20,635, representing 75% of the Low-Income Cut-Off (LICO), in addition to covering their first year of tuition and travel expenses.
This move marks a departure from the $10,000 threshold that has been in place for study permit applicants for close to two decades.
It would be recalled that BlackBox Nigeria reported earlier in the week on the United Kingdom government’s intention to introduce measures to reduce migration by preventing care workers from bringing dependents into the country, making it more challenging for Nigerians and others to secure visas.
Home Secretary James Cleverly unveiled the modifications in the House of Commons earlier in the week.
Under the new UK rules, a minimum annual salary of £38,700 will be required for foreign workers to be eligible for a skilled worker visa, up from £26,200.
