(Image Credit: Curtis Goodrum / CFJC Today)

By Curtis Goodrum

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

TRU calls international student enrollment caps an ‘overcorrection’ as school struggles with fighting off deficit

Mar 27, 2026 | 6:02 AM

KAMLOOPS – International student visas were previously uncapped in Canada, reaching over 500,000 applications granted in 2022.

The federal government since then changed its rules and capped new student visa’s 150,000 as of this year and only allows for 300,000 student visas in the country.

This has had a major effect on universities like Thompson Rivers University.

Recently, the auditor general released a report stating the federal government has failed to meet standards on international student visa fraud, with over 150,000 students potentially non-compliant.

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“Our international division actually goes way beyond the regular compliance that’s required. We have our own prescreening process for every applicant. We spend time with our staff members spend time with each applicant,” Baihua Chadwick, Vice-President International at TRU said.

The university ran a deficit and had to cut many positions – they hope the federal government looks at its stance on international student visas.

They say that more international students will benefit domestic students in the long run.

“It will limit the students’ access to educational programs. And when I say limit student access, I don’t just mean international students. I think it will limit our domestic students’ access. There will be fewer programs available for our students to access,” Chadwick said. 

The university has lost nearly half of its international student population – they say even if the government makes changes tomorrow, the damage has been done.

“This semester, we have 2,766 students, far fewer than in 2023. The application rate is low, and my concern is that the reputation of the brand of Canadian education is damaged,” Chadwick said. 

TRU hopes the auditor general’s pointing out the failings of the Canadian government will allow for a correction of what the university says is an over-correction on international student visas.

“We do have an ambitious goal of having the enrollment international number to be somewhere around maybe 18 to 20 per cent,” Chadwick said.  

TRU says they’re optimistic that changes will come soon.