Despite a two-year cap on foreign admission, Indian students aren't prepared to give up on their dreams of studying in Canada: 

Indian students want the Canadian government to address the growth in the cost of necessities and feel that international students are not to blame for the country's housing crisis.

Indians who hoped to study in Canada expressed dismay at the country's decision to stop admittance to overseas students at two years, saying they are not prepared to give up their ambition easy.

The sharp increase in foreign enrollment in Canada has resulted in a housing shortage as well as strain on other services including health care. The two-year cap, which Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced on Monday, is an attempt by the Canadian government to make sure that these issues are addressed at the local level.

The Canadian government has announced that in order to stabilize fresh growth for a two-year period, it will cap the number of applications for international student permits. The cap is predicted to produce about 3,60,000 authorized study permits in 2024, a 35% drop from 2023.

"The housing crisis and student bullying by private colleges are the fault of the Canadian government."

On the other hand, Indian students in Canada accused the government of ignoring warning signs that they had been pointing out for some time. The Montreal Youth Students Organization (MYSO) has been battling against student bullying by private institutions in Canada for the past four years, according to Mandeep, the organization's convener, who spoke to Indian Express Online.

Mandeep stated, "We have been raising our voices against it, but in vain. The issue of residential houses for international students in Canada, health facilities, low-quality facilities and high tuition fees in private educational institutions, the negative impact of India-Canada diplomatic tension on Indian immigrants and international students in Canada, etc., have been making Indian students anxious."

Students in Canada said that the housing problem was caused by profit-seeking companies' monopoly on the real estate market, not by foreign students. "Rents for residential properties are rising as a result of growing inflation, making them unaffordable for recent immigrants and overseas students. Furthermore, foreign students are not afforded the same health facilities as domestic students, which raises concerns about Canada's health system in the event that an international student gets sick or dies, Mandeep continued.

Canadian banks provide the GIC, a one-year liquid investment with a guaranteed rate of return, as a short-term option. It is intended for Indian students who want to enrol in SPP (Student Partners Program) colleges in Canada. The GIC, which now stands at CAN$20,635 (tuition excluded), was formerly CAN$10,000.

According to Shilpa Pradeep, an Indian pursuing a PGD in digital and content marketing at York University, Indians from middle-class and lower-middle-class backgrounds also aspire to move to Canada in order to better their own and their families' lives.

"The CAN $10,000 was somewhat doable, but with the new cap on international students, it now seems nearly impossible for those students to realize their dream," the speaker stated.

She went on to say that this will have a negative impact on the varied Canadian economy. "It demonstrates the diversity that many jobs in retail, commerce, hospitality, and a few other fields are primarily handled by international students. The impact on such industries will also be enormous.

Additionally, experts think that while these adjustments would protect the resources, they might have a detrimental effect on the workforce and the diverse student body.

Indian pupils never give up

An unnamed student studying hospitality management claimed that he had applied for a visa twice in the previous year, but both times it was denied.

It's interesting to note that his friend and brother applied practically at the same time and are currently studying in Canada. "My application for the January intake was denied in October with a reason given of insufficient funding. This came about as a result of having a well-organized visa file with all required paperwork, including funding and academic records," he stated, noting that Canadian colleges had been actively marketing their programs in India.

Even on the initial application, I displayed nearly twice as much in my account. Despite having less money, my friend, who applied to the same university and degree, was granted a visa. "My brother, who works in the IT sector, applied in August 2023 and the application process went well," stated the 22-year-old, who aspired to become well-known in the Canadian hotel sector.

The student, self-assured of his profile, has applied for Caips notes, which specify the precise reason for rejection. "I am bearing the brunt of the two countries' diplomatic spat."

In the interim, he has begun to consider backup plans. "I have to consider studying in Ireland in light of this new rule. "They say the living standards are good there, but I haven't considered moving there permanently," he remarked.

However, kids from India's middle class backgrounds are not afforded these possibilities. Currently living in Punjab, Harsh intends to study for a postgraduate diploma in accounting with her sister in Canada.

Muskan, her sister, is currently employed in Canada after having finished her education there. Muskan has already made his home, but in light of the recent developments, the family is a little anxious about obtaining Harsh's study visa. The family is keen to move all three of its girls to Canada, though.

The process of studying and becoming an immigrant to Australia is fraught with difficulties and expensive. Furthermore, Canada is a highly welcoming nation, and we have long harbored dreams of relocating there. We will not give up till my student visa is granted.

"It won't enable me to stay in India because I can't maintain my family and pursue part-time employment here in addition to my academics. I'll have that choice and be able to pursue a number of better career prospects if I study in Canada, the woman stated.

Canada's foreign student population: A statistical analysis

According to the Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration from 2022, there were 550,187 people in the nation with study permits. Furthermore, across all streams, 124,970 people with a previous study or work permit became permanent residents.

The percentage of international students from seven nations—South Korea, China, Japan, the United States, France, Mexico, and India—rose from 59% in the 2000–2004 cohort to 67% in the 2015–2019 cohort, according to a Statistics Canada report titled "International students as a source of labor supply: A summary of recent trends."

In the early 2000s, Ontario drew the greatest percentage of overseas students; this percentage increased from 37% in the 2000–2004 cohort to 49% in the 2015–2019 cohort.

A significant portion of international college students are drawn to the fields of business, management, and public administration.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reports that the number of people in possession of study permits at the end of December was 1,028,850, over the 9,49,000 amount that was previously projected for the year. In addition, the ApplyBoard Counselor poll revealed that, although declining from 2022, Canada continues to hold a solid reputation as the most cost-effective location for Indian students.

With 75% of participants believing that Canada offered excellent career chances, the country received the highest grades for prospective post-graduation employment opportunities.

How the lower enrollment of students will operate

Individual provincial and territorial caps have been established, weighted by population, to guarantee the reduction is equitable. This has resulted in considerably more dramatic cutbacks in provinces where the population of international students has had the most unsustainable growth.

An attestation letter from a province or territory will also be needed for each study permit application that is submitted to the IRCC. Additionally, foreign students who enroll in a program as part of a curriculum licensing agreement will no longer be qualified for a post-graduation work visa once they graduate, effective September 1, 2024. Similarly, spouses of foreign students enrolled in master's and doctorate programs will be the only ones eligible for open work visas.

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