Destination Canada!

One of the key deciding factors when pursuing education abroad is the potential of career prospects. Couple of years ago, the US and UK were the most popular destinations.

However, with the recent tightening of post-grad work visa rules and regulations in these destinations, countries like Canada, Singapore, Australia and France are attracting Indian students.

Last year, Canada had  114,000 international students from over 200 countries, a large number of these were from India.

Nadine Robitaille from the AUCC (Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada) explains the Canadian education system, “We provide a rich learning and research environment, at an affordable cost.” Canada has both large and small universities, some at the heart of the country’s biggest and most vibrant urban areas; others are located in small cities with easy access to open spaces and natural beauty.

“Our universities offer innovative approaches to learning such as co-ops and research internships, and many students are attracted by the opportunity to learn French in Canada,” says Robitaille.

The most striking feature of the Canadian education system is, it allows international students to stay back upon completion of the program under the Post Graduate Work Permit Program (PGWPP) and gain relevant international experience.

“PGWPP provides graduating students with Canadian work experience. International students may accept employment anywhere in Canada for a maximum of three years upon completion of their studies.

The work permit of course cannot be valid longer than the length of time the student studied,” informs Richard Levin, executive director, Enrolment Services & University Registrar at the University of Toronto.  

“Toronto offers one of the most vibrant and diverse employment markets in Canada for students to add North American work experience to their resume,” adds Greg Coelho, associate director, International Centre, George Brown College.

“Some provinces, such as British Columbia and Manitoba, provide a fast track to permanent residency status,” says Nello Angerilli, associate vice president, International, University of Waterloo. It is opportunities like these that make it worth for an international student to invest in a Canadian degree or diploma. “Eighty two per cent of international students at University of Toronto felt long term employability was an important factor”, adds Levin.

A lot of programs come with the opportunity to get a co-op in their field of study, As per Coelho, “Over 75 per cent of the programs at George Brown comprise a co-op work term.

This work term is spent in a job related to their field of study.” Many of the programs build work experience into the core curriculum. Early Childhood Development students, for example, work alongside childcare experts. Hospitality students do their externships in global hotel chains.  

The cost of living in Canada is high when compared to the US. However, students can work on and off campus. “A registered, full-time student with a study permit can work on-campus without a work permit.  Students can apply for an off-campus work permit too,” says Coelho. To be eligible they must have a valid study permit, be registered in a full-time program, be in good academic standing, and have completed six months of full-time study.