Canada’s International Students: The Challenges, The Responses, and The Opportunities
The impact of the pandemic has been felt in all sectors of our lives: work, play, teaching, learning. For post-secondary institutions, it has meant transforming systems, adjusting budgets, and seeking solutions to the challenges of delivering quality education beyond the campus.
International students are a valuable component of our culture, and help enrich our diversity. The Canadian government has worked hard to attract them to our post-secondary institutions; in fact, the Canadian Bureau for International Education indicated that the number of international students in Canada tripled to almost 600,000 over the past two decades.1
However, COVID-19 drastically altered the trajectory. Statistics from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reveal that the number of student permits issued from June to August 2020 fell by 58 per cent compared with those of 2019.2 With restricted travel, economic fallout, and safety concerns, international students faced a very different future from what they had anticipated at the beginning of 2020. Clearly, there were options to weigh and decisions to make: by students, by educators, and by the government.
Students’ Dilemma
With a travel ban in place at the time, students who had planned to come to Canada had to cast a fresh eye on the situation. Some of them chose to attend institutions in their native countries, while others decided to defer their education.
Those who were already here had to consider whether they should stay, paying the living costs without the benefits of in-class learning, or return to their homes to study remotely. With business lockdowns and closures, many of them were laid off from the part-time jobs they had secured to ease their financial burden. Further, it was unclear if the ability to apply for a work permit at the conclusion of their studies might be in jeopardy. They needed guidance from their schools and our government.
Educators’ Response
Post-secondary educational institutions quickly recognized the unique challenges facing international students. According to Dr. David Firang, Assistant Professor of Social Work at Trent University, international students look to their universities for advice and support, and he concluded that the responses they receive could affect Canada’s reputation as a desirable study destination.3 Universities and colleges implemented a number of helpful strategies, including websites, webinars, and fact sheets; some of them assigned designated advisors to answer questions.
As online teaching replaced classrooms, faculty members adopted online models in record time. In fact, Canada’s post-secondary institutions moved more than two million students to the cloud within a few weeks. Collaborative research into platforms, processes, and best practices has yielded innovative approaches to pedagogy. Modifying their traditional methods of instruction and communication to conform with a virtual environment, instructors discovered how to motivate their students and make the learning experience both engaging and productive.
However, while online education was made available for students abroad, there were complications for many of them, such as slow-speed rural connectivity, as well as internet censorship and platform inaccessibility in authoritarian regimes such as Iran and China.
Government Policies
The federal government fully appreciates the benefits, both culturally and economically, of a strong international student body. “We value the contribution of young people seeking a high-quality education in Canada, and we’re making every effort to minimize how current challenges affect their plans and dreams for the future,” said Immigration Minister, Marco Mendicino.4
Canada recently issued an updated set of guidelines outlining its policies to support international students.5 It includes information to be reviewed prior to travelling to Canada, with a list of approved institutions, study permit requirements, and COVID-related social restrictions.
In October 20, 2020, the travel ban was lifted to allow overseas students into those schools qualified as a Designated Learning Institution (DLI). The IRCC publishes a directory of accredited DLIs, with specific readiness plans approved by its province or territory to manage COVID-related risks and adhere to the current public health protocols. DLIs are also mandated to assist students from abroad in facilitating quarantine procedures, providing health insurance coverage information, and helping with access to mental and physical health resources. They must be prepared to deal with students who become symptomatic or need other medical care, and develop contingency programs for a potential outbreak at their institution.
As the government examined and refined a comprehensive response to COVID-19, it addressed the anxiety that graduating students were experiencing with regard to work permits. As of January 27, 2021, foreign nationals in Canada could apply for an 18-month extension on their permits.
Future Outlook
Online learning will continue to play a prominent role in our education systems. Many students welcome it for its flexibility and progressiveness, while acknowledging the loss of face-to-face interactions with students and instructors.
It is a matter of some debate if online education can be an effective retention tool for international students. According to the Erasmus Student Network, a Europe-wide student organization that supports exchange students and students studying abroad, online course delivery cannot act as a permanent substitute for on-campus classes.6 Remote learning excludes the cultural components of studying abroad; however, a blended approach may capture the best of both worlds.
Analysts are examining the possibilities for a revitalized educational landscape. The Royal Bank of Canada issued a paper suggesting that the pandemic has created a significant opportunity for a constructive transformation in our post-secondary institutions, including shared online curricula, modernization of the credit transfer system, adjustments to the academic calendar with rolling start dates, in-country presence of Canadian institutions, and course design based on augmented and virtual reality and machine learning to personalize student experiences.7
Our educational institutions and faculty members have reached out to international students to encourage them to continue their studies in Canada, while the government has taken proactive steps to smooth the path and clearly communicate the options. Within the perspective of an ultimate return to physical classrooms, it is anticipated that Canada’s caring attitude toward its international students, as well as our robust health care system and vigorous response to COVID-19, will enhance our reputation as a compassionate and generous country offering the route to academic success and a flourishing career.
[1] “International Students in Canada,” CBIE Research in Brief Numbers, Canada Bureau for International Education, 2018
[2] Claudia Rupnik, “Pandemic’s impact on international enrolment threatens revenue stream at Canadian universities,” The Queen’s Journal, October 22, 2020, https://www.queensjournal.ca/story/2020-10-22/news/pandemics-impact-on-international-enrolment-threatens-revenue-stream-at-canadian-universities/
[3] David Firang, “The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on international students in Canada,” Sage Journal, Issue 63, July 14, 2020, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0020872820940030
[4] “Government eases visa rules for international students,” University World News, July 17, 2020, https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20200717115553225
[5] “COVID-19: A Guide for International Students in Canada Arriving from Abroad,” Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Corporate Information, Publications and Manuals, modified January 4, 2021, https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/guide-international-students-arriving-abroad.html
[6] Paul Schulmann and Stefan Trines, “Perfect Storm: The Impact of the Coronavirus Crisis on International Student Mobility to the United States,” World Education News and Reviews, May 26, 2020, https://wenr.wes.org/2020/05/perfect-storm-the-impact-of-the-coronavirus-crisis-on-international-student-mobility-to-the-united-states
[7] Andrew Schrumm, “The Future of Post-Secondary Education: On Campus, Online and On Demand,” RBC Human Capital, June 1, 2020, https://thoughtleadership.rbc.com/the-future-of-post-secondary-education-on-campus-online-and-on-demand/