Federal housing minister and former immigration secretary Sean Fraser said the government is ready to consider limiting the number of foreign students entering the country to address the housing shortage and rising rents.
The Minister spoke about the unprecedented growth of the international student program, which has affected the housing market.
Fraser noted that if immigration "can be used as a tool to attract the workers we need to build new homes," then the international student program requires "serious thought." It's not so much that there are a lot of students, but an explosive growth, when the number of foreign students increased significantly in a short period.

Student programs do not have a set number of immigrants per year, as is the case with permanent residents. Canada welcomed over 800,000 international students last year. In some educational institutions, the number of students is estimated to be five to six times the number of places in buildings.

The government plans to accept 500,000 new immigrants annually until 2025. However, if the population boom continues at its current pace, it will have a serious impact on housing affordability, interest rates, social infrastructure and the economy.