Canadian visa holders abuse the student work-study scheme
September 14 2009 by Matt Jones
Canada student visa holders skip class
A Canadian immigration official based in South Korea has blown the whistle on a number of young Koreans who are abusing Canada’s work/study visa programme.
Martin Mundel, an immigration programme manager at the Canadian embassy in Seoul, reported his findings in a memo to his superiors in Ottawa. The memo stated that some students are using the student visas, that allow them to study and work in Canada, simply to gain jobs and have no intention of carrying out the ‘study’ side of the deal.
The young Koreans use the Canadian student visas as a means to gaining employment. Mundel’s memo stated, ‘the tuition fees paid in the private language schools effectively become the cost of purchasing a work permit.’
He went on to explain that the value of a Canadian work permit has increased as jobs have become less available globally. Koreans also see the chance to gain work experience in Canada as highly valuable as this brings with it the chance to apply for permanent residency.
The issue reflects recent problems identified by Australian immigration officials. Some Australian student visa holders have been found to be using student visas simply as a means of gaining Australian citizenship.
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