The number of international students has sharply decreased! Seneca Institute of Technology announces closure of Wanjin campus, with thousands of students facing major relocation!

Affected by the federal government's reform of international student programs, Ontario's renowned Seneca Institute of Technology will close its Markham campus at the end of the fall semester.

Affected faculty, staff, and students have been notified that starting from the upcoming winter semester, all existing courses at the Markham campus and Seneca International College courses will be transferred to Newnham or North York Seneca@York Campus.

The college was established in 2020 and is specifically designed for international students. At its peak, the number of registered students reached 5000, which is about one-fifth of the total number of international students at Seneca, which currently has over 24500 international students.

After changes in federal immigration policies, the college found a significant decrease in the number of applications for January next year. Seneca College Dean David Agnew stated that it is expected that the number of international students choosing to study on campus will decrease by 50%.

Agnew said, "Whenever the government issues a new announcement, our potential students in 150 countries hesitate and wonder if they should wait and see again." He lamented that his institution had to close a campus as a result, which made him deeply sad.

This is a tangible manifestation of the changing higher education system... and also reflects the damage to Canada's international image

In the past decade, the number of international student registrations has increased from 300000 to 1 million. Since the end of last year, the federal government has gradually introduced plans to control the number of international students, including limiting the issuance of new study permits and restricting work permits after graduation.

Next year, Canada's temporary population, including international students and foreign workers, will decrease by 445901 people.

The college campus has been particularly severely affected, with a decrease in registration numbers leading to layoffs and project cancellations.

Agnew said, "We are in a very turbulent and uncertain period of higher education

Seneca Institute of Technology currently has 39800 full-time students, and the closure of the Wanjin campus is considered a temporary measure by the school. Agnew said, 'We need to observe how long the current environment will last, depending on immigration policies and the level of welcome for international students.' However, he admitted that operating a small campus is not practically meaningful given the current situation.

He added that students transferring to other campuses will be able to enjoy a richer campus experience, as more registrations will bring a more vibrant campus atmosphere.