Canada must attract India's bright students
June 03 2008 by Gareth McConnell
Canada has become an increasingly popular destination for foreign students, particularly due to changes to work permits for international students studying at a Canadian institution. But some countries are feeling ignored.
It is estimated that that over 60 000 international students came to Canada last year and this year these numbers are set to grow. Despite this it seems that the Canadian government have not yet tapped into the highly sought after Indian market.
India is a great source of skilled immigration, especially in Canada, but the number of Indians coming to Canada to study is still low. Indian High Commissioner RL Narayan, in a speech arranged by the Canada-India Business Council, said that student visas should be fast tracked, in order for Canadian institutions to attract Indians.
Yes Canada aims to attract as many bright and talented students as possible in order for them to gain skilled labour but, according to Narayan, it is the Indian young talent that should be focused upon.
"If Canada is serious about doing business with India, it must simplify visa procedures for business and student class," says Narayan. This has become a pertinent issue as India's strong international student population is minor in Canada. Indians provide skills in areas such as IT and engineering, which are in demand in Canada, therefore talent from these sectors needs to be sourced.
Canada wants to attract foreign students; therefore they now give international students a three year work permit if they have graduated from a qualifying Canadian institution. This is highly beneficial for the students and Canada itself. This will give foreigners essential work experience and at the same time contribute to Canada's labour shortages.
In response to this, Canada has promised a November mission to India by Canadian university representative who will look for talented youngsters.
Canada is also changing policy to attract students. Funding for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) which tests language ability has been funded at the University of Queensland. If language proficiency can be proved, this will help international graduates find work. Also the government, especially in Toronto is pouring funds into language training, "language can be one of the most challenging barriers faced by newcomers to Canada," says Diane Finley, immigration minister.
This issue and the like has come to the fore as the highly controversial Canadian immigration changes was recently approved by the House of Commons. The new initiative, if also passed by the House and then the senate, will enable the immigration minister to pick and choose who will gain entry preference into Canada.
At present about 80 000 Canadian immigration applications are waiting in the queue and this new law ultimately aims to break this backlog. According to Diane Finley, the minister of immigration, the bill wants to "ensure that families are reunited faster and skilled workers arrive sooner."
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