Nearly 900 Students in Limbo as Quebec Suspends Four College Permits
Latest news on WhatsApp أجدد الأخبار على واتساب
Nearly 900 international students are facing uncertainty over their education and immigration status after Quebec suspended or declined to renew operating permits for four subsidized private colleges.
The affected institutions are Collège supérieur de Montréal, Collège supérieur de Sherbrooke, Veritas College of Technology in Montreal and the vocational training division of Herzing College. The decision has disrupted classes and left some students unsure whether they will be able to complete their programs or graduate on schedule.
More than 100 protesters, most of them international students, gathered outside Collège supérieur de Montréal on Sunday, July 19, demanding clear answers and immediate assistance from the provincial government. Students said they had been left in limbo after learning that their institutions could no longer continue operating under their existing permits.
Some affected students were reportedly only weeks—or even days—away from completing their studies, while others still needed to finish a final examination or workplace training placement. They are now calling for their completed courses and academic credits to be recognized and for automatic transfers to other institutions offering equivalent programs.
The Quebec government has said students are being directed toward alternative institutions, but the transition could be complicated by limited spaces, summer closures and delays in securing new admission offers. The students’ concerns extend beyond their education because their legal status in Canada is linked to enrolment at an approved designated learning institution.
Under federal rules, students who transfer to another designated learning institution may need to submit a new study permit application supported by a new letter of acceptance. Students whose institution loses its designated status may continue studying until their existing permit expires in certain circumstances, but they cannot extend that permit to remain at the same de-designated institution.
Students studying in Quebec may also need updated provincial authorization. Quebec requires international students to obtain a Quebec Acceptance Certificate, known as a CAQ, although some students holding a valid CAQ issued before December 6, 2024, may be exempt from applying again when changing institutions at the same level of study.
Quebec Solidaire representatives have urged the provincial government to establish a rapid and transparent transfer process, provide information sessions and introduce flexibility to protect students’ immigration files. They argued that colleges found to have violated provincial requirements should face consequences, but students should not be punished for decisions made by institutions that were officially recognized when they enrolled.
The crisis has renewed concerns about the vulnerability of international students enrolled at private institutions. Many paid substantial tuition fees and built long-term education, employment and immigration plans around programs whose future has now been thrown into doubt.
