September 13th, 2024 at 03:49 am

Canada Immigration Policies for International Students 2024 | Canada Immigration

Many international students are uncertain due to the major changes to Canada’s immigration laws in recent months. International students must deal with the ramifications of the Canadian government’s adjustments to residency requirements, work permits, and visa policies.

Important worries regarding their academic and professional possibilities, as well as their future in Canada, are brought up by this changing environment. This research will look at how these policy changes affect international students and provide advice on dealing with this uncharted territory.

Uncertainty Looms for International Students in Canada Amid Policy Changes

Recent changes to federal policy have left international students in Canada with ever-greater doubts about their futures. These new rules have a big influence on the employment options open to international students, making their already difficult time in Canada even more difficult.

Recent Policy Adjustments and Their Impact

Several reforms impacting international students have been implemented by the Canadian government. The restriction on how many hours international students can work off campus is one of the biggest changes. Under a temporary policy that expired in April 2024, students were previously permitted to work more than 20 hours per week; the current law limits work hours to 24 hours per week.

The precise implementation date has not been disclosed, despite Immigration Minister Mark Miller’s indication that the revisions aim to strike a balance between job and study. Furthermore, the government has placed limitations on pathways to permanent residency and cut the number of student visas granted by 35%.

Academic and Financial Challenges

The challenges presented by the new 24-hour work cap are emphasized by Professor Anna Triandafyllidou, a sociology professor at Toronto Metropolitan University and holder of the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration. She admits that while cutting back on working hours may improve academic achievement, it can also put students in a difficult financial situation.

Reducing working hours improves academic performance, but Anna Triandafyllidou notes that it might not be feasible for students who must work 35 to 40 hours a week to make ends meet. She supports raising the minimum wage to a level that is livable so that students can continue to pay for their living expenses even if they work fewer hours.

Limited Work Hours and Financial Strain

Fourth-year TMU business management student Alaza Hen Wala has doubts about the new policy’s efficacy. According to Hing Walla, extending the workweek to 24 hours won’t make a big difference in reducing financial strain. You require financial support to pay your bills each month.

According to him, it won’t matter if there are four extra hours in a workweek if there isn’t enough employment available that offers enough hours or income. Many students work low-paying jobs that don’t guarantee enough hours to pay for necessities like rent and utilities.

Challenges for Post-Graduation Work Permits

Concerns are also raised by the new policy for foreign students whose employment permits expire in 2024 after graduation. It might be difficult for these students to obtain invitations to apply for permanent residency or to extend their visas, which could result in their being forced to return home.

In response to labor market demands, the Canadian Express Entry program continues to be a viable avenue for permanent residency, with a growing emphasis on STEM professions. Due to this change, a large number of international students have decided to focus their studies more on STEM fields to increase their chances of being granted permanent residence.

Reactions and Adjustments

To improve his prospects of obtaining permanent residency, Hing Walla has shifted his academic concentration to match the STEM category. He is now enrolled in business analysis classes and looking into healthcare opportunities.

According to Nala, there is often conflict and uncertainty caused by legislative changes, which makes some students rethink their choice to study in Canada. She observes that it has damaged Canada’s reputation as an immigration-friendly nation.

Criticisms and Misconceptions

Criticizing the current state of affairs as a moral panic, Anna Triandafyllidou claims that international students are being unfairly held responsible for more general problems like the lack of accommodation.

She contends that infrastructural policies, not immigration laws, are the real cause of the more complicated issues surrounding cheap housing. She concludes that blaming pupils is a simple but incorrect way to handle difficult problems.

This viewpoint draws attention to the need for a more complex comprehension of the difficulties encountered by international students as well as the larger socioeconomic variables at work. International students need to be alert and flexible to deal with Canada’s changing immigration laws as they continue to change.

While there are obstacles due to the current uncertainty, they can lessen the impact on their educational and career ambitions by being aware and consulting with immigration specialists. Even though there will be challenges along the way, international students can still seek to fulfill their dreams in Canada by being proactive and making strategic plans.