The Canadian government now warns foreign students that study permits do not guarantee permanent residence status in that country. In a discussion with Bloomberg, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Minister Marc Miller told Bloomberg that a study visa wasn’t a way to permanent residency following record inflows of foreign students in Canada. “He said, “That should never be the promise. “People should come here to educate themselves and then perhaps return home to apply those skills in their own country,” he said. “However, that hasn’t been the case lately.”
Understanding the Government Stand
The Canadian government also considers the labour market requirements now while deciding the routes to PR. Miller stated, “The justification for allowing uncontrolled or uncapped draws from abroad is no longer valid.” This step is towards a more controlled approach to immigration, keeping pace with the nation’s financial and social capacities.
Challenges and Criticisms
Despite such clarifications, the stand taken by the government has been criticised.Toronto-based immigration lawyer Ravi Jain says if the government is serious, it should stop touting this path to permanent resident status for students through express entry in its social media marketing. He also pointed out the issue of bad advice from non-lawyer immigration consultants in India and suggested that, just as in the United States and Germany, the limitation of the practice of immigration law to qualified lawyers in this country might ensure more honest and trustworthy guidance for prospective students.
Impact on International Students
The Naujawan Support Network has joined the fight for students’ rights by stating at an international level that the government is setting a scenario for a mass deportation of 70,000 international students. They said that the PR pathways have become very restrictive and uncertain, therefore making many international students who have been contributing to Canada’s economy and local communities during the last couple of years extremely distressed.
Current Trends in Study Permits Canada, however, will continue to grant a large number of study permits. Ottawa is expecting fewer than 300,000 new study permits this year, compared to 437,000 in 2023—according to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, a total of 216,620 study permits were issued as of May 2024, reflecting an increase compared to the same period in 2023.
Conclusion:
With the growing number of students coming to Canada, what prospective students need to know is that securing a study permit is not precisely a ticket to permanent residence status in a country presently mired in immigration policies. Rather, it is making a student aware of policy changes and seeking reliable legal advice that places them better in terms of their educational and immigration plans in Canada.
