Canada has been a top destination for many international students with numbers increasing every year. The recent Canadian Bureau of International Education notes that international student numbers have increased by 200% in the last decade and by 63% in the last five years. Last year alone, over a million international students were enrolled in Canadian institutes across the country. Statistics Canada has highlighted that the surge in numbers can be attributed to the relaxation in Covid-19 travel restrictions which meant an increase in the processing of work and study permits during this period.
For the Canadian Government, the growth in international students has meant an achievement of their objective of increasing the availability of skilled immigrants into the country which is needed to fuel the economic growth. However, a number of issues have led to a lot of criticism of this policy which, in turn, has forced the government to take measures to control the number of international students that can study in Canada.
The Covid Challenge
The Covid pandemic hit the Canadian economy very hard. Unemployment went up due to businesses having to shut down or reduce workforce. This was coupled with high inflation and cost of living for Canadian residents. Other events like the pandemic, the Ukraine-Russia war and the Middle East crisis have only added to the woes. On top of all of this was the housing shortage created by the increase in not just international students moving to Canada but immigrants who were being accepted through the Express Entry Program.
The Accommodation Challenge
It is clear that Canada has not been able to keep up with the increasing number of international students. This has been reflected in a shortage of affordable accommodation for international students leading to an increase in rentals. Cities that attract more international students are bearing the brunt of this housing shortage. Apart from the accommodation becoming more expensive, students have had to deal with high inflation leading to a rise in the cost of living overall which had not been anticipated prior to moving to Canada.
There was an article in The Mint newspaper in May this year which highlighted that Canada was a dream destination for Indian students but has become less attractive as an education destination because of the cap on study permits. As per the article, there has been a drop of 40-45% in the number of Indian students applying to Canadian universities. The cap is not the only reason for the drop. The housing shortage, inflation and the recent incidents of visa fraud are also cited as factors affecting this decline. With International students not being allowed to work off-campus for more than 20 hours, students complained that they were unable to manage their expenses due to the high cost of inflation and high rentals resulting from the shortage of housing in many cities especially in Ontario.
The Immigration Fraud Challenge
The rise in immigration fraud coupled with a lot of negative media coverage regarding the living conditions of international students in Canada has created a lot of unease about studying in Canada. Despite Canada having a regulated immigration system with licensed immigration consultants and lawyers, many unlicensed immigration consultants and agents have found ways to dupe students by issuing fake letters of acceptance and giving wrong advice on what are the best courses to apply for. These cases have started getting more attention in the last few years with a few immigration agents getting caught.
According to media reports, the diplomatic tensions between Canada and India last year has led to a 40% decline in the number of study permit applications processed for Indian students last year. It is believed that this decline can also be attributed to the negative perception about studying in Canada which has been seen on social media especially with regard to the high cost of living causing hardships to Indian students currently studying in Canada. However, approval rates for Indian students have not been affected to that extent. From January to September last year, 32,000 more Indian students were approved to study in Canada compared to 2022. For international students from other countries, there has been a 34% increase in the number of study permits processed!
The high inflation cost of living, the housing shortage and the cap on the number of hours that a student can work off campus or on campus are only some of the challenges that are being faced by international students in Canada. The restrictions placed by the Canadian Government in terms of caps on study permits, increasing the cost-of-living requirement for approving a study permit will force future international students to rethink about choosing Canada as a study destination.
Contact CanadianXperience for guidance on understanding the new changes in the study permit process and requirements to confidently decide on your next step. CanadianXperience is an Education Consultancy specializing in Study in Canada.
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