In a recent decision, the federal government’s Canada immigration process has adopted an unrestrained approach to the entry of international students into Canada which is bound to have unprecedented repercussions in the future.
In particular, the international students coming into Canada as recent entrants with study permit will be vying for permanent resident status against the international students who arrived as young teenagers much earlier and a substantial number of individuals on foreign worker visas.
Current figures point to a massive jump of over 20 percent in international student’s numbers in 2017 as compared to 2016. In a decade, student numbers for those arriving as elementary or high school students have more than doubled.
“They’re not connecting the high numbers of elementary and high school kids that are coming to future permanent resident applicants. There is a grave danger on the horizon,” said Richard Kurland, editor of the Lex base immigration newsletter.
A growing trend is developing in many countries like China to send their children to Canada in their teenage years to enable them to adjust better to Canadian culture. Eventually, the children would be applying for permanent resident status for themselves, securing a work permit and later on sponsoring their parents to come to Canada as well. Burnaby immigration lawyer George Lee agrees that these international students would ultimately be ranked higher when they apply for permanent resident status.
Are there any potential immigration concerns in this situation?
Possibly yes as per many Canada immigration experts who state that the youngest of the international students may be prone to depression and loneliness as they live alone. Many may end up facing a bleak future if they get rejected for the permanent resident status and have to return to their home countries.
The sheer numbers of the potential pool of applicants for permanent resident status are expected to be massive leading to higher point scores requirement in the immigration process.
As per Project Atlas, international students favour Canada as the world’s fourth most popular destination. Primary source countries for international students include China, India, South Korea, France and Vietnam.
With the redesigned Express Entry immigration program proving to be very popular, vast numbers of parents are hopeful of getting their children into Canada to successfully apply for the permanent resident status.
Coming to Canada as a teenager will undoubtedly give an added edge to the international students as they will learn English or French along with life skills valued at Canadian workplaces. Once settled here, they are expected to sponsor their parents to Canada. Investing in houses and assets within Canada is the inevitable next step for the parents who ultimately move to Canada.
Another potential concern may be how exactly to incorporate such vast numbers of international students into Canada. Experts fear that Canada may be walking in the footsteps of the US and Germany who experienced similar challenges. In the USA, more than 800,000 people came into the country as teenagers whose future in the US is now under legislative discussion. Germany was stuck in a similar circumstance when they were forced to grant amnesty to millions of Turkish temporary workers.
One possible solution, suggested by Lee is increased in the number of permanent resident spots annually by adopting suitable federal immigration legislation. The job market and worker shortages may play pivotal roles in shaping the government’s decision.
As the immigration requests backlogs grow, compassionate grounds may end up as a potential reason for the surge in the number of permanent resident status requests from international students. In such a situation, the federal government and the international student’s future will be at complicated crossroads with no solution in sight.
At Nanda & Associate Lawyers, we understand that you may have concerns your responsibilities as a parent with a child who may be an international student in Canada or your friend or colleague may have a child who is an international student requiring legal help. In such a situation, an experienced immigration lawyer is what you need to make the go ahead with a stress-free and absolutely professional approach. Contact our experienced immigration lawyers today for all your immigrated related concerns and needs and help us build a good and safe future for your children.
