I’ve had several email exchanges with colleagues overseas about the recent changes Canada has announced regarding student visas for international students, and this article discusses some of the background issues prompting these changes and highlights the need for ongoing conversation. If a university commits to accepting a student, they should also have the responsibility to ensure they can house the student and provide appropriate academic support. Some of the concerns raised are similar to other countries that have had large increases in international student populations (ex. The Netherlands & housing) and are also grappling with what to do. Predatory agents that are just after the money of unsuspecting students and families must be shut out of the process, and applicants should be dealing directly with the university for guidance and assistance. The point the article makes about students coming to Canada for a graduate degree vs an undergrad program is noteworthy. Any parent would agree that a young adult with more life experience would better be able to handle the experience of moving to another country to attend university. The reduction of the maximum work hours per week is a step in the right direction, and I would argue they need to be further reduced. I don’t know any full time student that can handle their academic load well along with 24 hours/week of work, and as Minister Miller points out in the article, ‘to be clear, the purpose of the international student program is to study and not to work’. Lastly, I would want to make sure that the funding students have for a given school year is more tightly enforced/adjusted to reflect the reality of the cost of being an international student in Canada. This would help to ensure students are aware of their finances and fully able to afford a year of university education.
