ILAC Files for Bankruptcy Amid Government Policy U-Turn on International Students

The International Language Academy of Canada (ILAC) announced it had filed for bankruptcy and was closing immediately. The sudden closure follows the federal government's U-turn on international student policy. The move caused demand to dwindle for private language schools, which have seen a decline of nearly half since 2019. The closure of ILAC, one of the largest private language-instruction schools, affects at least 1,362 students studying in Toronto and Vancouver.

The policy shifts imposed by the federal government on student visas and postgraduate work permits have led to market contraction in the private language education sector. The government's actions are cited as the most recent fallout leading to the business closures among these providers.