Students wearing face masks are seen at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on Feb 7, 2022. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

British Columbia will stop approvals of new colleges seeking to enroll international students until February 2026, the government of the Canadian province said on Monday.

The province will set minimum language requirements at private training institutions and also set higher standards for labor market needs and degree quality.

As of the end of last year, there were about 1 million international study permit holders in Canada, an amount about three times larger than that of a decade ago, according to government data

The move comes as the Canadian government has been attempting to curb a surge in immigration of international students, which has been partly blamed for a shortage of rental units and a 7.7 percent rise in rents nationwide in December versus a year earlier.

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Last week, the federal government announced an immediate, two-year cap on new international student permits, which will cut the country's intake by 35 percent this year to about 360,000. It will also stop giving work permits to some students after graduation.

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As of the end of last year, there were about 1 million international study permit holders in Canada, an amount about three times larger than that of a decade ago, according to government data.

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Canada has emerged as a popular destination for international students since it is relatively easy for them to obtain work permits after they finish courses.