For several decades, Canada was the country which has one the most fair and generous countries in terms of their immigration policy. But, in 2006, the Canadian government started reforms that focused on using the immigration system in order to fuel the economy of the nation. In addition, the government wanted to place, “a high priority on finding people who have the skills and experience required to meet Canada’s economic needs” (“Points-Based Immigration Systems: Canada”). Mobility of international students has become a competitive industry, where many countries have aligned their immigration pathways and marketing strategies. For example, during just one decade, Canada has doubled the number of its international students. Therefore, nowadays as it needs to compete with other countries for the best talent, it should offer a permanent citizenship after graduation to them. By passing regulations that help international students to become permanent citizens after their graduation, Canada would add billions to its GDP as well as meet its needs for skilled workers.
The global competition to attract foreign students is driven by the economic benefits for the economy; international students also add skills, various talents and innovation. Migration of international students is the main way of high skilled immigration and in the coming year’s competition in this industry would only increase (“Economic Impact of International Education”). With the probable rise in global competition for international students and skilled migrants, Canada needs to look at its competition and learn to implement strategic policies for attracting and recruiting international students (Lowe). Many international students already want to live in Canada because many of them arrive to study in Canada with the idea to get permanent citizenship. Such methods such as Express Entry cause many students to leave the country (“Points-Based Immigration Systems: Canada”). Instead of searching and attracting economic immigrants from all over the world, Canada should focus on its international students who currently study there and provide them with permanent residency.
Just like in other developed countries, Canadians live longer and produce fewer children from year to year. This means, Canada, which already has a low measure of human capital in comparison to other developed countries, needs to find means to support the economy. The demographic in Canada demands skilled workers with education to produce growth of the Canadian economy. Therefore, it is essential for Canada to encourage skilled migration through means such as recruitment and retaining international students, as they possess the skills learned in Canada required to sustain economic growth.
Understanding the need for human capital and population balance, the federal government has been working hard to develop initiatives and channels that are designed for encouraging skilled migrants. Canada needs to find ways to increase the number of international students who stay in the country after college education and strengthen the brand of Canadian education by making it the leading destination for research and study of various disciplines. Universities and colleges need to help the government in creating the environment where international students are encouraged to help increase the number of skilled migrants in the future (Zilio & Choise). In general, offering permanent residency to international students is a measure that would ensure the Canada has the human capital to fill job places with high demand for skills and the population balance to maintain the growth of its economy in the long term.
The global race for international students is getting more and more heated, as several countries are competing to attract the best talents to their country. The Canadian government needs to understand the advantages of giving permanent citizenship to international students after their graduation, because these students may become an important tool for managing economic growth. Moreover, they can contribute while studying by generating income in terms of revenue from tuition fees, accommodation charges and other discretionary expenses. Also, encouraging international students to stay after graduation will help in filling jobs with high skills demands and maintaining economic growth in the long term.
Works Cited
“Economic Impact of International Education.” Institute of International Education. Institute of International Education, n.d. Web. 16 June 2016. http://www.iie.org/Research-and-Publications/Open-Doors/Data/Economic-Impact-of-International-Students#.V2ehntVkjIU
“Points-Based Immigration Systems: Canada.” Library of Congress. Library of Congress, 9 June 2015. Web. 16 June 2016. http://www.loc.gov/law/help/points-based-immigration/canada.php
Lowe, Sophia. “International Students as Canada's New Skilled Migrants.” World Education News & Reviews. World Education News & Reviews, December 2010. Web. 15 June 2016. http://www.wes.org/ewenr/10Dec/feature.htm
Zilio, Michelle & Choise, Simona. “Ottawa looks to ease international students’ path to permanent residency.” The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail,15 March 2016. Web. 16 June 2016. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-looks-to-ease-international-students-path-to-permanent-residency/article29242266/
