Commentary
The consensus that Canada’s international student program has significant issues spans across different ideologies—it is now a bipartisan agreement. With some necessary reforms, the program can be rescued and reshaped to benefit both Canadians and foreign students.
To alleviate the strain on Canada’s systems caused by nearly half a million international students annually, a reasonable policy objective would be to significantly reduce this volume. Interestingly, the reforms required to achieve this reduction would also create a rules-based program that aligns with the national interest.
What type of international student program would benefit Canada? How about a small group of foreign students who excel academically, contribute to cultural exchange in our universities, and upon graduation, return to their home countries with a positive connection to Canada and the skills to enhance their nations? If they meet specific selection criteria beneficial to Canada, they could later apply for permanent residency to contribute positively to the country. This goal is achievable—all it requires is political determination.
Related Stories
These lenient rules send a clear message to international students: You can come to Canada to work, prioritizing work over studies. By implementing two straightforward policy changes—banning off-campus work for international students and eliminating post-graduation work permits—we can send a different message.
This shift would discourage individuals seeking to exploit our international student program for work purposes and attract students dedicated to their education.
Another problematic message conveyed by Canada’s international student program is that it serves as a pathway to citizenship.
The most straightforward way to reform the international student program is to prohibit off-campus and post-graduation work and exclude time spent as a foreign student from the citizenship’s physical residency requirement. By ceasing to treat international students as future workers and citizens by default, we can attract applicants who view themselves solely as students pursuing education.
Transforming the international student visa into a strictly educational visa would likely lead to a significant decrease in the total number of foreign students. While educational institutions would need to adjust to reduced tuition revenue, this shift would draw students eager to learn and eventually contribute their expertise to their home countries.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Please rewrite this sentence.
Source link
