With policy changes, will Canada cease to be hotspot for Indian students? Huron University official responds
The Canadian policy that lets an international student work for more than 20 hours a week off campus has come to an end. As per a press release by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, Marc Miller, the policy came to an end on April 30, 2024.
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau's government had temporarily waived the 20-hour cap on work hours for international students during the COVID-19 pandemic to ease labour shortages, but it has been imposed again and is currently in effect.
According to a report by PTI, Miller said that students coming to Canada must focus on academics but many say that expenses incurred while studying abroad need to be supported, and having job experience prior to finishing the degree might bolster their prospects of landing a job soon, but will the recent capping of working hours discourage students from not wanting to study in Canada anymore?
EdexLive reached out to Moustafa Ezz, Associate Vice-President, Recruitment & International Relations, Huron University, with queries and whether Canada can maintain its position of being one of the most preferred destinations for students.
Here are a few excerpts from the conversation
Experts say students don't work just for money, they work for respect, experience, and self-sufficiency too. What do you have to say about this?
Work-integrated learning (WIL) and paid internship programmes are key components of any truly holistic educational experience. These paid work experience programmes during university are indeed not just important for the money, but also for the experience, skills, and connections students develop when engaging in these opportunities.
Canada remains a global leader in WIL opportunities for international students.
Reports say that this will impact the volume of students who choose to study in Canada from India. What do you think?
I don't believe this will have any impact on the volume of students who wish to study in Canada. Quite the contrary, it will ensure students who do come to Canada, are here to study and gain valuable work experience at the same time, rather than coming to Canada to only work without studying in their programme.
It is important to understand the proper context behind the April 29, 2024 decision regarding off-campus work hours for international students.
Here are the facts:
The policy effective from September 2024 limits students working off campus only while classes are in session to 24 hours of work per week alongside their studies.
Students can continue working unlimited hours during their scheduled academic breaks such as summer and winter holidays when classes are not in session.
It should also be noted that there are still no limits to the number of hours students can work on campus while classes are in session.
The limit on weekly hours for off-campus work while classes are in session was waived during the COVID-19 pandemic only as a temporary measure, to ease critical labour shortages during that time.
Prior to that temporary waiver, the cap for weekly hours for off-campus work while classes are in session was 20 hours per week. Therefore, the policy effective September 2024 increases the number of hours off-campus work students can work per week while classes are in session, compared to the past.
Overall, this measure strikes a healthy balance between ensuring students can focus on and succeed in their studies, while still availing extensive opportunities for valuable paid work experience, even more than what is offered at other study destinations.
Recent studies conducted in the US and Canada have shown that there is a considerable decline in academic performance for students working more than 28 hours per week and that working more than 24 hours per week increases the chances that a student will drop out of their course.
Canada has been coming down hard on students, if we may say so, or that is the general perception. Would you say it is true?
The fact remains that Canada's rules around off-campus work for international students are still equal to or more generous than most other study destinations when you compare the options available to international students in different countries. For example, Australia recently changed its policy to allow a student to work 48 hours every two weeks. In the United States, students must meet far stricter conditions and conditions to work off campus than in Canada.
This general perception is inaccurate in many ways. While there have been major policy changes to the international student program in Canada in the past year, these policy changes have been made with two objectives in mind.
Firstly, to uphold the quality of the international student experience, we should limit the number of study permits/visas for institutions that do not meet high educational standards. Conversely, we should preserve or increase the number of permits/visas for institutions that provide quality education and prepare graduates for in-demand jobs.
Secondly, continuing to welcome genuine students who wish to avail Canada's world-class education and work-integrated-learning opportunities, while disincentivising individuals who wish to come to Canada under a study permit/visa, without the genuine intention of studying in their programme.
Generalised reports and headlines on this topic are often too simplistic to explain the nuances of Canada's large and diverse educational system; the student experience in Canada can differ greatly based on the type of institution you are attending.
We would encourage students to research their education choices in Canada carefully for quality assurance and to clearly understand the different dynamics and scope of educational and career outcomes between attending different types of institutions.
Is your university doing anything to assuage the fear of students regarding this directive?
Fortunately, our students at Huron have not been negatively impacted by any of these policy measures. Huron was one of the universities that was not subject to any reduction in study permits/visas by the government, in recognition of the quality of our programmes and the extensive career preparation we provide our students.
We are also one of the only universities that offers guaranteed paid internship opportunities for students.
One of our students from India is about to graduate next month with years of on-campus and off-campus work experiences at two of Canada's most prestigious banks and he has earned almost $50,000 in income throughout these summer internship roles, while still succeeding in his studies and successfully graduating.
This is a great example of the advantageous opportunities Canada provides international students compared to other destinations and how to strike the perfect balance of academic success in your studies with prestigious work opportunities that build valuable experience and earn income.
For over 160 years, Huron has developed the leaders of Canada’s largest and most successful organisations – from Canada’s CEO of the Year to Forbes Top 30 Under 30 recipients and award-winning changemakers in the United Nations, World Economic Forum, and prominent NGOs and media outlets.
We have a dedicated Career Development team who work 1:1 with international students to curate a personalised career plan for them, with four to 16 months of paid work experience during their degree while providing all the immigration support required for Canada’s Post-Graduate Work Permit.
