Canada makes it easier for international students

By Mata Press Service

The Canadian government has announced significant flexibility for international students, including preserving their ability to work after graduation beginning this fall.

The changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP) now allow online courses to be counted to a PGWP application, that permits international students to work in Canada for up to three years after completing their studies.

This major announcement will encourage more international students to pursue their studies in Canada this fall, rather than deferring their post-secondary education, reported CICnews.

The reason for this is that international students who wish to eventually apply for Canadian immigration will want to capitalize on the opportunity to complete a portion of their studies in their countries of origin, while still being able to access the same benefits had they been required to physically study in Canada.

International education represents a significant economic benefit to Canada, with international students contributing $21.6 billion to Canada’s GDP and supporting nearly 170,000 jobs in 2018.

International students are also often excellent candidates to apply to remain in Canada permanently, with nearly 54,000 former students becoming permanent residents in Canada in 2018.

Immigration Canada said the COVID-19 pandemic has had a considerable impact on international students. In response to the health and travel restrictions that are in place, many designated learning institutions (DLIs) are offering their courses online.

Post-secondary institutions and prospective students alike are considering their approach to the fall semester. Both have sought guidance from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada regarding eligibility for the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP) for students starting at an eligible DLI this fall.

Under normal circumstances, criteria for the PGWPP limit an international student’s ability to pursue a program via distance learning, from inside or outside Canada, and time spent studying outside Canada is deducted from the length of the work permit for which they are eligible.

PGWPP eligibility will not be affected by international students whose fall 2020 courses will be online due to COVID-19. This is in line with guidance provided to students already studying in Canada or whose program had a spring or summer start date.

Students in this situation may begin their classes while outside Canada and complete up to 50% of their program via distance learning if they cannot travel to Canada sooner.

In addition, they will not have time deducted from the length of a future post-graduation work permit for studies completed outside of Canada, up to December 31, 2020.

Contrastingly, the Trump administration wants to restrict the ability of international students to work after graduation by suspending policies around the Optional Practical Training (OPT).

Optional Practical Training allows international students to work in the U.S. for 12 months, usually after graduation, and 24 additional months in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.

American Universities view OPT as a way for students to enhance their education in the United States by applying what they have learned in classes. It also provides a more realistic chance to gain one of the scarce H-1B visas by giving students more than one opportunity to secure a spot in the annual H-1B lottery of 85,000 petitions.

“Students will stop seeing the United States as a destination for education,” said Ravi Shankar, assistant vice provost and director of the international services office at the University of Rochester.

He expects foreign student enrollment would decline if OPT opportunities are “curtailed.”

The move to restrict the ability of international students to work after graduation has alarmed U.S. universities and employers, reported Forbes.

In a letter to the president and cabinet officials, 324 U.S. employers and trade, industry, and higher education associations and groups wrote, “As the number of U.S. postsecondary STEM degrees attained by F-1 nonimmigrants has steadily grown, the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, to include the STEM OPT extension, has correspondingly become a significant pipeline for the U.S. STEM workforce.” The businesses and organizations urged the Trump administration not to impose new restrictions on international students.

The Forbes report stated immigration rules make a difference, particularly ones that could prevent international students from making their careers in the United States.

“If Canada keeps the doors of its universities open for international students while the Trump administration shuts America’s doors, then many of the world’s most talented young people will learn to sing “O Canada” rather than “O say can you see.”

According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data, Canada’s international student population grew by 13 percent in 2019 compared to the previous year, marking yet another year of double-digit growth. Overall, 404,000 international students saw their study permits take effect in 2019.

Canada’s international student population has grown six-fold over the past 20 years. In the last decade alone, it has tripled.

Canada’s growth is being fueled by the rise in the global middle-class population, with more students looking to pursue educational, and in some cases, immigration opportunities overseas.

Some 56 percent of Canada’s international students come from India and China.

International students have also benefited from Canada’s Student Direct Stream, which fast-tracks study permit applications for nationals of India, as well as China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Pakistan, Senegal, and Morocco.

According to UNESCO, there are now over five million international students globally, compared with around two million in 2000.

• with agencies