The India-Canada standoff appears to have influenced Indian students’ decision to choose Canada as a study-abroad destination. Canada’s housing problem for international students and the news of a harsher employment market appears to have a significant impact on students and parents in the country. The government of Canada has recently capped the intake on international students for two years. Finally, the minimum cost of living financial requirement to styudy in Canada has also been raised.

In an exclusive interview with Sunil Dhawan of Financial Express Online, Moustafa Ezz, Associate Vice President for Recruitment and International Relations at Huron University, clarifies the various aspects surrounding the standoff between India and Canada and the impact of the recent measures taken by the Canadian government.

What is the current status of the issuance of student visas after the India-Canada stand-off? Is there any kind of delay in processing?

While it is true that due to the diplomatic crisis, there was a reduction of immigration staff at the Canadian High Commission and Consulates due to the government of India’s demand for parity in the number of diplomats present, it is important to note that visa application centers remained open as they are run by a third-party contractor, VFS.

Presently, there are 10 VFS Visa Application Centers in India (New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Jalandhar, Chandigarh) functioning as normal. It should also be noted that the large majority, 89%, of India’s visa applications to Canada are processed through the global network of IRCC, mitigating the risk of diplomatic stand-off on processing capacity.

As well, while the amount of Study Permit applications to Canada between July and October of 2023 has declined by 41% compared to the same period in the year prior, 80% of study permit applications from Indian students between August and November 2023 were processed within only three weeks – this proves that there may in fact be no real processing slowdown for study permits due to the dispute.

Beginning January 1, 2024, the minimum cost of living financial requirement for students has been raised from 10,000 Canadian dollars to 20,635 Canadian dollars. Do you think it will be a deterrent?

We have not yet heard concerns from students and their families regarding this policy change. Frankly, we feel this shift better helps students prepare for life in Canada with a more realistic understanding of the true cost of living here. The $10,000 amount was last set in the year 2000 and had not changed since then, until now. It is impossible to live in Canada for an entire year with only $10,000 in your bank account.

This new measure is truly more honest and transparent to international students and will ensure that students who do come to Canada possess the required financial resources to afford a decent, comfortable life in the country while meeting their essential needs. None of us want to see international students struggling to pay rent or afford food – so this raised requirement is the right thing to do.

A recent study revealed a 40% rejection rate for student visa applications from India. Kindly throw some more light on it and the reasons behind that.

We are not aware of this statistic. On the contrary, official IRCC data shows that 2023 saw the highest study permit approval rate for Indian students across the January to September period than any year since 2016. At nearly 70%, this year’s approval rate was almost 15 percentage points higher than last year’s.

Indian students also have the advantage of benefitting from Canada’s Student Direct Stream (SDS) scheme for the Study Permit application. Students who apply through SDS benefit from a processing time of usually 20 calendar days.

In 2022, 80% of Indian students applied for their study permit through the SDS. From 2018 to 2023, on average, 78% of Indian SDS university applicants were approved for a student visa. The fact that India is only 1 of 14 countries worldwide eligible for the SDS stream demonstrated Canada’s commitment to Indian students and the efficiency of the Study Permit application process for the country.

According to reports, the job market for students seems to have hit a rough patch in Canada. Is that true? Any data or city-specific information that you could share?

The context that is often missing in these reports is the different experiences students may have depending on which part of Canada they choose to live and seek work in and the type of institution they choose to attend. Canada is the second largest country in the world and job prospects will differ greatly from region to region and based on the course and category of institution the student chooses to enroll in.

We would encourage students to research their post-secondary choices in Canada carefully for quality assurance and to clearly understand the different dynamics and scope of career outcomes between attending a college compared to attending a university.

The vast majority of Indian students in Canada attend colleges and not universities and media coverage of such issues rarely distinguishes this fact clearly. Students need to understand that generalized reports on this topic are often too simplistic for a country as large and diverse as Canada and should also understand the nuance that the experience of students attending private career colleges, does not reflect the experiences and career outcomes that Indian students attending reputed universities enjoy.

In fact, between March 2012 and March 2022, 2,169,700 new jobs were created for university graduates, three times as many as those created for graduates of all other types of postsecondary education combined.

A data backed report proves that international students have a fast track to Canadian employment and that those who study in Canada actually do far better in the workforce than those who don’t – and almost as well as non-immigrant Canadian peers.

This topic reiterates the importance of ethical admissions counselling that provides students with honest and transparent information, as well as students researching each institution they are applying to carefully and asking important questions: does the university offer paid internships in the course I am applying to? How likely am I to actually receive such an internship? What dedicated career resources are available to international students specifically at the institution and what is the staff-to-student ratio?

Huron for example, is one of Canada’s most prestigious universities with a proven history and track record of 160 years of developing the leaders of Canada’s largest and most successful organizations – From Canada’s CEO of the Year to Forbes Top 30 Under 30 recipients and award-winning changemakers in the United Nations, World Economic Forum and prominent NGOs and media outlets.

The fact that we have a dedicated Career Development team who work 1:1 with international students to curate a personalized career plan for them, with 4 to 16 months of paid work experience during their degree along with direct connections to alumni of influence means we have a 94% placement rate into either a job or graduate studies for Huron graduates.

We are also a partner with Devant, a third-party student employment organization consisting of former international students and career professionals who work together to develop a process that works to help students successfully showcase their skills and experiences in the Canadian job market, along with immigration support for Canada’s Post-Graduate Work Permit.

Is housing a bigger concern for students moving to Canada for studies? Any data or city-specific information that you could share?

Being the second largest country in the world, Canada is geographically vast with a spectrum of cities and urban centers that vary in population density. The cost of living and housing availability can be very different for students depending on which city they choose to move to.

In some cases, it’s very possible for students to comfortably secure affordable housing and in some cases, it can be very difficult and expensive. Like the question above, uniform generalized statements to describe the entirety of Canada are too simplistic of an explanation for students.

There is little difference in quality of life or opportunities in Canada between Tier 1 and Tier 2 or Tier 3 cities. Canada consistently ranks between 1st and 3rd in the global Quality of Life Index, so it would be important for Indian students to look beyond the largest cities such as Toronto or Vancouver to other cities that still offer a world-class quality of life and infrastructure, but at a far more affordable rate.

It’s also important for students to understand if the college or university they are applying to offers guaranteed on-campus housing and off-campus housing support – Huron offers both of these amenities to all of our international students. In fact, this year, we are launching a $61 million new residence building that will double our on-campus housing availability.

What are your views on the recent visa cap announcement?

We want to emphasize that students applying to Huron are highly unlikely to be negatively affected by this development. This is because Huron has always prioritized quality over quantity in student experience – we’ve always intentionally limited our incoming cohort to approximately 150 international students per year, ensuring that we deliver an elite university experience with highly personalized admission, visa, career, and wellness support for every student thanks to our industry-leading staff to student ratio.