Study in Canada: A Smart Decision

On June 01, 2014 the Canadian government put into effect a new student visa system.[i] Canada has made it easier for international students to attend Canadian schools, work while they study and gain work experience in Canada post graduation. Further the Canadian government is targeting international graduates as a main source of long term immigrants (PR). This approach makes sense as international students have already earned Canadian education credentials and proven their ability to effectively function in Canadian society and the Canadian workforce.

The changes to Canada's student permit system are part of Canada’s well pronounced strategy to attract more than double the current number of international students in the years ahead. The quality of Canadian educational institutions, new government policy initiatives, the comparatively low cost of Canadian education and the quality of life in Canada are driving forces that will cause Canada to continue to make strong gains as a destination for international students in the years ahead. These are good reasons for you to consider Canada as a destination of study.

Canada is performing well in international student destination ranking 7th overall[ii], but plans to be at the top of the class. In 2012, Canada attracted 265,000 students (a nearly 100% improvement from 2002), a number however that still ranked well below Australia which received over 300,000 in the same year.[iii] The new changes coming into effect have been put in place to help Canada meet its goal of far surpassing Australia and receiving 450,000 students a year by 2022.[iv]

This initiative represents an excellent opportunity for students who are considering studying in Canada. The quality of Canadian education is well respected and well documented.The University of Toronto READ MORE...