The 2014 International Education Strategy set out by IRCC Canada targeted 450,000 international student visa applications in 2022. However, recent data from IRCC is overwhelming. Astoundingly, the target has been crossed by almost 80%. Indian student visa applications consist of a 41% chunk of the total foreign student visa applications. Studying in Canada for International Students is a great opportunity because of the great internships and jobs for them. There is also a huge demand for Canadian work permit among students with Canadian study visa applications.
Sources of Canada Study Visa Applications
Indian student visa applications are the highest in 2022 for Canadian Universities. IRCC issued almost 226,450 student visas to Canada in 2022. This number is almost 4 times the number of student visas sanctioned in 2019. However, IRCC states that the suppressed numbers during the covid pandemic leads to this huge number.
China follows India in the number of foreign student visas to Canada. IRCC issued 52,165 permits to Chinese international students in 2022. However, the number is a bit low compared to 55,900 student visa applications in 2021. This is mainly because over 40,000 students migrated to Australia as borders opened post-pandemic restrictions were lifted.
While India and China held the top 2 positions in Canadian study visa applications, the other sources were the Philippines, France, Nigeria, and Korea. The statistics are given here for reference.
Country | Number of Study Visas in 2022 |
Philippines | 32,455 |
France | 27,135 |
Nigeria | 21,660 |
Korea | 16,505 |
Surge is ‘Not Surprising’
The Vice President of International Partnerships, Alain Roy, mentions that the surge is ‘not surprising’. The pandemic had two very major implications on international education. Firstly, the movement of Canadian study visa applications was very slow. Additionally, there were several rejections in immigration. Secondly, many international students postponed their international plans of studying abroad. This created a lag in the demand that is now easing after the pandemic.
Also, the quality of education in Canada is becoming better by the day. This is because of great professors and great study curriculums in all Universities. Roy noted some more reasons that justify the rigorous hike in Canadian study permits.
- Intercultural diversity at Candian Universities.
- The quality of education is increasingly affordable.
- Canadian work permits for students after and during the study.
- Great employment opportunities in Canada.
Destinations With Highest International Students
International students caused “renewed pressure on the capacity of the key destination cities – Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver” according to the VP. Other regions are also facing a huge surge. Ontario is the most popular destination among international students. International students in Ontario received around 52% of the new Canadian study permits. British Columbia follows with 19% of the total new Canadian study permits issued in 2022. Canada is a “highly valued destination for learning” mentions Larissa Bezo, CEO of the Canadian Bureau for International Education.
Thus, studying in Canada for international students is the new trend within academia throughout the world. Harnessing this opportunity becomes even easier with Leverage Edu.
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