In a crowded campus west of Toronto, many students were thinking about the recently announced changes to the international student program that brought them to the post-secondary stage.

Some sympathized with friends back home whose dreams of studying in Canada suddenly became at risk as Ottawa moved to limit the number of study permits for international undergraduate students over the next two years, while others described it as a reasonable step as Canada aims to control the expanded international student program.

However, there was general consensus on the need to reconsider the program.

For Jayathri Jayachandrakorp Sreja, who came to Ontario from India just last month to study marketing, the changes made her think about those she knows who have similar aspirations for Canadian education.

She said while between classes at Sheridan College campus in Mississauga, Ontario: "They are very sad about it," there are many students who want to come here and study and determine their future, so I think this is very bad for them."

Hartha Kaladaran, another international student from India studying business and operations, agreed that the changes were disappointing for many she knows back home.

But she said it is important for Canada to address the problems associated with the program.

Kaladaran added while studying for an exam on campus: "People in the other country may feel very sad because Canada has become stricter," "but they don’t know the struggle we face after coming here."

She said international students face challenges securing housing and finding part-time jobs, all while paying tuition fees much higher than their local peers.

Kaladaran said: "If Canada is calling more immigrants to the country, they should have some plans, like whether we can provide jobs and housing, most people find it extremely difficult to get housing."

She continued: "Immigrants here... let them settle, let them get jobs, and then once they settle, they can invite more immigrants."

Manmohidpreet Singh, a 20-year-old marketing student at Sheridan College, said the recent cap was necessary.

He said about those thinking abroad about coming to Canada for post-secondary education: "They don’t understand that they need a lot of money to survive here," "If you want to come here, be prepared."

More than 900,000 foreign students received study visas in Canada last year, with more than half holding newly issued permits, which is more than three times the number 10 years ago.

This week, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced that new visas for international students would be cut by more than a third this year so Ottawa can slow the rapid increase in the number of temporary residents, which has put tremendous pressure on the housing system.

He said the two-year cap will also give governments time to address problems in the system that allowed some bad actors to take advantage of high international student tuition fees while providing poor education.

Some provinces will be affected more than others; Ontario, which saw the largest share of growth in the number of international students, will see its allocation of new visas cut in half.

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada department wrote in a statement: "In recent years, the integrity of the international student system has been threatened."

"The rapid increases in the number of international students arriving in Canada also put pressure on housing, healthcare, and other services."

Ottawa said the Peel region - where Mississauga is located - is one of the areas most affected by the influx of international students.

Ontario colleges said Ottawa’s move is already causing chaos as colleges accept students throughout the year, and many international students already accepted into programs are now having their study permit applications returned to them.

Universities also came out against the international student cap, with the Ontario Universities Council saying at least 10 universities in Ontario already expect a combined operating deficit of $175 million this year, rising to $273 million next year.

In 2022, a report from the Ontario Auditor General stated that provincial schools became reliant on tuition fees from international students, especially after the province forced public universities and colleges to reduce then freeze tuition fees for Canadian students in 2019.

On Friday, the Ontario government announced that all colleges and universities in the province will be required to ensure housing for incoming international students.

It also said it will review post-secondary institutions with a "large" number of international students and will impose a ban on new partnerships between public colleges and private institutions.