Posted Jan 9, 2023 at 8:00 am EST
A recent study called From Student to Immigrant? Multi-step pathways to permanent residence suggest that too many Canadian international students face multi-step, indirect pathways to Canadian permanent residence (PR).
The Conference Board of Canada is a not-for-profit research organization that focuses on analyzing economic trends, organizational performance and public policy issues.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) should work to improve international students’ pathways to PR in Canada.
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Accordingly, says the Conference Board, “Canada needs targeted immigration pathways for international students [that ensures] faster and more predictable immigration journeys.”
Let’s now dive into the key findings of their research.
What is the problem?
Completion alone will rarely allow international students to qualify for PR in Canada.
Indeed, among international students in the 2010-2019 cohort who obtained a PR by December 2020, only twelve percent did so without needing to obtain a work permit after completing one level (nine percent) or two levels plus (three percent) of research. A large proportion of an outstanding 88% had to rely on a combination of their education and one (60%) or two and more (< 20%) post-education work permits to obtain a PR in that country.
However, fewer of the students who obtain work permits after completing their studies end up obtaining a PR in Canada. In 2010, 80% of college certificate recipients received subsequent work authorization (as did 70% of master’s degree recipients). However, just over 60% of those college certificate holders (and just under 60% of master’s degree recipients) received a PR that year. A similar reality was true in 2016, where less than 20% of college certificate holders received a PR, although over 80% had subsequent work authorization (these numbers were roughly 30% and 70% for master’s holders, respectively degree in the same year ).
Understanding the reality behind the problem
International students usually need postgraduate work experience as they try to become a PR in Canada. Accordingly, they must usually obtain a work permit before applying for permanent residence.
Now, while some immigration programs favored applicants with a Canadian degree, many international students who had to apply to economic immigration programs “also had to show connections outside of studying in Canada, such as [those] to a [certain] province or … employer.’
Among other programs that international students could explore when looking for a PR, Canada’s Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) are the most popular, accounting for 34% of all international students transferring to PR during this period. However, research has revealed that international students remain disadvantaged in the context of the PNP, as provinces tend to “nominate people with in-demand skills or connections to the province that could lead to long-term retention” while allocating only a limited number of slots for a nomination specifically for students.
Another issue identified through the Conference Board’s research was that international students without university degrees were at a distinct disadvantage in becoming PRs, despite strong desire/intent.
According to the research, non-university-educated international students are largely ineligible for immigration unless they combine their education with work experience related to a sought-after occupation or have strong family or provincial ties to Canada.
To illustrate this, the Conference Board cites Statistics Canada research conducted on the international student cohort from 2010-2014. This research revealed that Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) recipients in this cohort were disproportionately successful in obtaining of PR compared to recipients of other work permits, but as PGWP achievement varies by level of study, this reality disadvantages international students at certain levels of study.
Additionally, “immigration data suggest a particularly wide gap between intent and opportunity among students at the college/certificate level, the level with the largest increase in international student enrollment since 2010,” and students who were found to be more likely to plan to stay in Canada outside of their education.
In fact, among the 2010-2016 international student cohort, this is how students of various degrees managed to transition to a Canadian PR (by percentage).
- Master’s degree: just under 50%
- College/Certificate: just over 40%
- Bachelor’s degree: Between 15% and 20%
- Trade: Between 10% and 15%
- Vocational/Language: Below 15%
Again, as similarly argued throughout the Conference Board research, the above findings highlight that education alone is rarely sufficient to qualify international students for Canadian PR, and they are largely forced to obtain subsequent temporary permits of some kind in aspiring to really settle in this country.
Completion of the study
Overall, having to navigate the multi-permit pathway to PR in this country increases international students’ vulnerability to exploitative employment and immigration-related stress, as such a reality makes it difficult for prospective or current international students to assess the likelihood of obtaining a PR.
Accordingly, the Conference Board’s research ultimately revealed a troubling problem regarding international student immigration: Canada “lacks a targeted federal economic immigration program for international students, and there are few at the provincial level.” The country’s provincial and territorial governments, along with IRCC, need to quickly fix this.
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