Whereas many rural communities across British Columbia rely on international students and skilled immigrants to support local economies, fill critical labor shortages, and sustain essential services; And whereas recent changes to federal immigration policies, including restrictions on international student enrollment, have significantly impacted rural colleges, businesses, and industries by reducing the available workforce and limiting economic growth: Therefore be it resolved that the UBCM petition the federal and provincial governments to develop a rural-focused immigration policy that prioritizes workforce needs, ensures economic resilience, and provides support to rural businesses, post-secondary institutions, and communities affected by recent changes to federal immigration policies, including restrictions on international student enrollment.
Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills Responsibility for immigration is a shared jurisdiction between the provincial and federal government. The federal department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has primary responsibility for most immigration matters, including federal policies related to temporary residents including international students, Post-Graduation Work Permit holders, temporary foreign workers and permanent residents. However, the Province is responsible for the BC Provincial Nominee Program BC PNP. Supporting the growth of regional economies is a strategic objective for the BC PNP, so the program has been designed to award additional points to prospective immigrants living and working in BCs regions. The proportion of nominees who are destined for areas outside Metro Vancouver has doubled from 21 percent in 2020 to 42 percent in 2024. The Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills has established a Regional Immigration Collaboration initiative to support the way immigration can contribute to their economic development strategies. 17 communities in BC are already participating. The federal government significantly reduced the BC PNP allocation in 2025 by 50 per cent. The BC PNP allocation for 2026 is 5,254, despite BCs request for an allocation of 9,000 to support provincial priorities such as immigration to BCs regions. BC continues to advocate for the BC PNP allocation to be increased. The federal government has also reduced BCs 2026 Provincial Attestation Letter allocation for international student study permit applications by 57 per cent to 32,596 from the 2025 allocation of 76,087. This follows a 40 per cent cut to BCs undergraduate allocation in 2025 compared to 2024. International students are an important part of BCs post-secondary education system, and they make significant contributions to post-secondary institutions and communities throughout the province. The federal allocation cuts and changes to international student study and work permit policies have caused a global chill in international recruitment for Canada with a disproportionate impact on rural institutions. The Ministry is committed to helping BC institutions respond to the challenging recruitment environment and is engaged with the federal government to help them recognize the impact of the unilateral changes and the value of international education for BCs communities, institutions, and workforce. The British Columbia Council for International Education, a provincial Crown Corporation, is supporting rural institutions by providing capacity building training, mentorship, and resources specifically for institutions outside the Lower Mainland to help them address unique challenges, provide quality international education programs and ensure international students in their communities are well supported. The Ministry remains committed to maintaining high standards across the sector to ensure BC continues to attract top talent and support a strong, sustainable, and innovative economy despite the restrictions at the federal level. Regional Immigration Collaboration URL: https:www.welcomebc.caimmigrate-to-b-cabout-the-bc-provincial-nominee-p…