Canada has reduced study visas by 40 per cent. Colleges that were the first choice of Canada's Punjabi community are either laying off staff or closing down courses.
Major changes are taking place in Ontario's colleges and universities, which are the first choice of Punjabis. Centennial College in Toronto, Ontario has announced that it has stopped new enrolments in 49 full-time programs for the 2025 summer and winter semesters as well as the 2026 semester.
This includes programs like journalism, financial planning, technology foundation and community development.
A Centenary College spokesperson said that they are taking all these steps in order to ensure the long-term strength and stability of the college.
They are taking these changes into account, but these changes will have a profound impact on their community, faculty as well as staff. The spokesperson clarified that 128 full-time programs will still remain open to new students. He also said that there is a possibility of restarting the postponed programs in the future as well.
It's worth noting that the number of international students was limited last year, causing enrolment at Ontario colleges to drop by 50 per cent. This resulted in a 752 million dollars reduction in spending on the province's campuses.
Canada's government Algonquin College has announced this month that it would close its campus in Perth city by August 2026. Perth Mayor Judy Brown said educational opportunities in rural areas are important.
Closing these campuses will cause huge losses to the local people. This is a campus and college where the majority of Punjabis used to go to study. Apart from this, Sheridan College has suspended 40 programs.
Meanwhile, Seneca College has announced the temporary closure of its Markham, Ontario campus. Additionally, Mohawk College has decided to lay off 20 percent of its administrative staff and cancel 16 programs by 2025.