Canada's Abrupt New Visa Requirements May Affect Mexican and Czech Students

Ottawa’s surprise announcement on Tuesday that Czech and Mexican residents must obtain a visa to enter Canada is likely to affect thousands of foreign students, especially those planning to take short language courses this summer.

Many universities, colleges, and private language schools offer summertime English courses in Canada, but it is not known how many students come from Mexico or the Czech Republic because no study permit has been needed to take a course of less than six months’ duration.

The policy change may also cause problems for full-time students hoping to start classes this fall. Both students and administrators are scrambling to comply with the immediate requirement that students will need a visa in addition to a study permit. The University of Alberta, for example, expects 150 to 200 students this fall, and according to the Edmonton Journal, university officials were surprised by the new policy and are notifying the students they will need visas. Applying for the document could take months, in which case full-time students may have to defer their courses by a semester.

The Canadian Ambassador to Mexico said the Embassy would work to expedite student visas, according to The Globe and Mail.

The Canadian government said it had imposed the new rules to eliminate bogus refugee claims, which have become a drain on the economy, and had announced the policy shift with no notice to avoid a last-minute crush of visitors seeking to take advantage of the former relaxed rules. —Karen Birchard