Canada’s New Strategic Plan to Diversify International Student Intake

Canada continues to be one of the most preferred destinations for international students to pursue further studies. Thanks to the diverse Canadian culture and always welcoming Canadian government policies. The country has been an attractive place to study for years. Since the start of 2019, Canada has recorded 570,000 foreign study permit holders who have contributed over $21 billion to the Canadian economy.

The federal government recently announced its five-year international education strategic plan for Canada’s long-term competitiveness. The objective is to give a boost to diversity, innovation, and global ties.

While pathways to permanent residence in Canada currently exist for international students, both the government and various educational institutions feel more can be done.

Under the new International Education Strategy, the international education sector will maximize its potential and create jobs for Canadians across Canada. Here are the key highlights of the new $148-million strategy:

• The main aim of the new strategic plan is to attract more foreign talent by expanding Canada’s presence overseas to advance classroom diversity and boost the economic benefits that already touching billions every year.
• As per the statistics, more than 50% of Canada’s international students come from China and India, and they prefer large cities such as Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary. The new strategy will focus on expanding the recruitment efforts to target Mexico, Indonesia, Vietnam, Brazil, Colombia, Morocco, Ukraine, Turkey, Brazil, Thailand, and the Philippines.
• The strategy aims to bring foreign talent to cities that usually receive fewer immigrants than popular urban cities
• Another key element of Canada’s international education strategy is an investment of about $100 million in Canadians studying overseas, it will focus on the groups such as indigenous people, low-income and people with disabilities, who have been denied opportunities in the past.

According to the Minister of International Trade Diversification, James Carr, international students stimulate innovation and develop cross-cultural competencies. If an international student chooses to immigrate to Canada, they contribute to Canada’s economic success. Those who choose to return to their countries become life-long ambassadors for Canada and Canadian values.