Immigration to Canada may drop 50%
According to a prediction by the Royal Bank of Canada, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to cause the annual number of immigrants in Canada to plummet by half. In addition, the number of study permits issued has also plunged by 45% in March 2020. If this continues, it will cause serious damage to the Canadian economy. The Royal Bank of Canada issued a report on Friday saying that Canada accepted 341,000 permanent residents in 2019 and plans to welcome another 370,000 immigrants this year. However, due to the impact of the pandemic, this number will be reduced by 170,000 immigrants. According to the immigration data in the first quarter, the number of permanent residents decreased by 30%; the number of temporary foreign workers in the agricultural sector – by 45%; and the number of study permits in March decreased by 45% compared to the same period last year.
#immigration_levels, #PR, #international_students, #foreign_workers
The number of study permits issued to Chinese students dropped by more than half
As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, the number of study permits issued to international students from China has dropped in the first quarter of 2020. According to IRCC’s figures, the number of study permits issued to Chinese passport holders in the first quarter of 2020 was 7,055, less than half of the 14,445 in the same period of last year. Immigration Canada stated that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Visa Application Centre in Chinese Wuhan was closed as well as the other six VACs in China only provide biometrics collection services. IRCC further expressed that applying online is not affected by the pandemic so the IRCC staff continues processing electronic applications.
#study_permits, #international_students, #study_in_Canada, #China, #COVID_19
International students face a sudden fee increase
Some Canadian universities have significantly raised their tuition fees for international students – a move critics say could force some to quit and leave Canada. Many international students feel frustrated as the fee increase is unfair in the middle of a global pandemic when courses are taught online, and while students are struggling financially due to economic slowdown. For instance, the University of Toronto has increased tuition for international undergraduate students for the summer semester by an average of 5.4%! Graduate students face an increase of 4.2%. These costs will remain at that level in the fall. International students pay more than domestic students, and, as such, they feel like universities compensate their losses with the students’ money.
#International_students, #study_in_Canada
