Author(s): Wided Dafri, Sandra Braun
Since the onset of COVID-19, international student mobility has been interrupted. Instead of engaging in foreign travel, students have been opting to study closer to their home. This sudden change in the market poses economic threats. A combination of national policies and regulations, along with proper support packages and job opportunities are necessary to attract post-secondary international students back on campuses and to compete for this shrinking market. This is a discussion of the Government of Canada that has experimented with varying policies and packages, in a bid to regain its position among the top five destinations by international students. It examines early reporting data of student enrolment from 34 of its 96 universities and compares to enrolments in other countries, comparing and contrasting policies and approaches. The study asks: How is the Government of Canada’s immigration reforms, and other measures, impacting international student enrolment? This analysis suggests that international student enrolments in post-secondary education in Canada may have not suffered as much as had been anticipated. Final data may likely, in fact, show enrolments to have been somewhat on par and within about 1% change. Relevant reforms, which included immigration considerations such as pathways to citizenship, based on available data and this analysis, have likely positively impacted international student enrolment in Canada, even in the face of extreme challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and have helped Canada re-gain its position as a top destination for study abroad.