Bishop’s University is committed to its international students

Dear Bishop’s international students,

Earlier this year, the Government of Canada announced its intent to decrease the population of temporary residents in Canada by placing limits on the number of international students going to each province. In addition to this, the Québec government also announced a plan to implement caps on the number of students entering universities in the province. These decisions have been made without consultation with post-secondary stakeholders and will have an impact on international students and institutions.

You have, no doubt, read or heard about the implications of these decisions, and you may be questioning how the developments could affect you or your peers. We understand your concerns and are working hard with local, provincial, and federal governments to demonstrate the impact of these changes for us and our students.

International students have and will always be an important part of our campus. Your contributions to our community in academics, technology, entrepreneurship, and social action have helped to shape who we are. Bishop’s prides itself on its diverse student body and is keenly aware that a reduction in international student enrolment would be detrimental to the University’s culture. Simply put, our international students make Bishop’s better.

We understand that the federal and provincial governments’ recent actions may lead to insecurity and doubt about your future in Canada. As a former international student to Canada myself, I understand the challenges some of you may have faced to get here. Know that you are not alone and that we are actively engaged in discussions with both governments to influence future decisions which could affect our international students. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and keep you regularly updated.

In the meantime, if you would like more information or support, please contact Bishop’s International staff. They can answer your questions and provide you with confidential immigration advice.

Time and again, Bishop’s is heralded for its supportive, close-knit community. I am confident that we will face the upcoming months together and continue to make the Bishop’s experience a positive and enriching one for our international student community.

Best regards,

Danai Bélanger
Vice-Principal Student Affairs and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Sébastien Lebel-Grenier
Principal & Vice-Chancellor