Update on CIC International Student Program
The ICEF North America Workshop
Toronto, May 2013
To provide an update on Canada’s International Student Program, including:
Trends on the international student movement in Canada CIC’s current operational context Policy and program updates
Purpose
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• The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) regulates the entry of all international students into Canada
• The federal government supports Canada’s national security interests by ensuring the integrity of the study permit program and preventing the entry of non‐genuine students
• CIC and the Canada Border Services Agency are responsible for the implementation of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and regulations, and for managing the entry of foreign nationals into Canada for study/work purposes (a.k.a. Canada’s International Student Program)
• Numbers driven by demand by international students for education in Canada and there are no numerical limits/quotas
• Study Permit applications to Canadian Embassies, Missions abroad or at a Canadian Port of Entry must meet certain documentation, financial and security requirements
• Study permits not required for:- Short term course (six month or less)- Courses of general interest or self‐improvement - Audited courses- Distance learning - Kindergarten
International Student Program: Overview
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Work Permit Programs
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Working Off Campus‐ Any publicly funded, post‐secondary educational institution or certain programs in private post‐secondary institutions authorized by
provincial or territorial statute to confer degrees, located within a province/territory that has signed an MOU with CIC‐ Open work permits for duration of study, without need for an HRSDC Labour Market Opinion (LMO)
Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)‐ Any course/program delivered by a university, community degree‐granting college, CÉGEP, publicly funded trade/technical school, or private
institutions authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees‐ Open Work Permit, valid for up to 3 years, without need for an HRSDC LMO
Working On Campus‐ Any course/program delivered by a university, community degree‐granting college, CÉGEP, publicly funded trade/technical school, or private
institutions authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees‐ Full time studies, no Work Permit required
Spousal Employment‐ Any course/program delivered by a university, community degree‐granting college, CÉGEP, publicly funded trade/technical school, or private
institutions authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees ‐ Spouses of international students eligible for open Work Permits, without need for an HRSDC LMO‐ The Work Permit validity will coincide with the spouse’s Study Permit, or the period of time the principal applicant is entitled to work after
graduation
Co‐op and internships‐ Any university, college or school, including language schools and career colleges‐ The co‐op or internship must be an essential part of the program of studies‐ Work should not represent more than 50% of the total length of the program of studies. Work permits issued without need for an HRSDC
LMO
Permanent Immigration Streams
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Canadian Experience Class (CEC)• Launched in September 2008 to allow international graduates and temporary foreign workers who
have demonstrated success in the Canadian labour market to remain permanently in Canada • Allows foreign nationals with intermediate official language ability and who have at least one year of
full‐time (or equivalent) skilled work experience gained within past 36 months to be eligible for PR• Work experience gained on student work permits does not count as eligible for the CEC
Federal Skilled Worker Program• International students at the PhD level are eligible to apply as FSWs, provided that they meet the
program requirements as any other skilled worker• International graduates can also apply if they have a qualifying offer of arranged employment or one
year of work experience in one of the program’s 24 eligible occupations • Obtaining a Canadian PSE degree and professional work experience in Canada can assist a student in
immigrating permanently by allowing them access to a work permit under the PGWP which would help them earn qualifying work experience
• Information about FSW requirements: www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/index.asp• If planning to immigrate to Quebec as a Skilled Worker, different requirements apply:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/quebec/index.asp
Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)• Provinces have own permanent immigration programs, and some provinces prioritize graduates
interested in immigrating permanently: ww.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/provincial/index.asp
International Student Trends
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Increasing Numbers of International Students
Annual entries increasing in recent years 104,777 study permit
holders entered Canada in 2012
Total number of students residing in Canada also increasing 265,377 study permit
holders residing in Canada (as of December 1, 2012)
Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Preliminary 2012.
Students Residing in Canada on Dec. 1
Annual Entries of International Students, 2008-12
79.264 84.87095.257 98.392 104.777
0
20.000
40.000
60.000
80.000
100.000
120.000
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Student Entries by Province/Territory of Destination
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Student Entries by PT, 2011-12
Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Preliminary 2012.
0
10.000
20.000
30.000
40.000
50.000 45.401
26.639
16.770
6.3443.169 2.636 1.617 1.252 643 274 26
2011
2012
Student Entries by Level of Study
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Largest share of international students destined to universities
‐ 42,904 students entered Canada at university level in 2012 (41% of Canadian total)
26,191 students entered in the “Other PSE” category (25% of Canadian total)
23,745 students entered at K‐12 level (23% of Canadian total)
Student Entries by Level of Study, 2011-12
Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Preliminary 2012.
Student Entries by Top 10 Source Countries, 2011-12
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Students from China (25,342) and India (13,133) represented 37% of total annual entries of foreign students in Canada in 2012
Followed by Rep. Korea, France and USA
Top 10 source countries represented nearly 70% of annual entries to Canada
Student Entries by Top 10 Source Countries, 2011-12
Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Preliminary 2012.
Number of former students choosing to immigrate is increasing, noting growing importance of post‐graduation employment
International students transition to permanent residence primarily through Skilled Worker Class, Provincial Nominee Programs, Family Class, Investor Class and Canadian Experience Class, respectively
Canadian Experience Class introduced on September 17, 2008o Since implementation, over 6,000 former students have been admitted o 84% approval rate for all CEC applicants
Transitions to Permanent Residence
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Sources: Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Preliminary 2011;dwsweb;(4) International Region/nim_all_caips_e from download of April 8, 2012
CIC’s current operational context
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Study Permit Processing: Overseas
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• 81% approval rate globally in 2012, and 80% of SP decisions finalized within 42 days
• Consistently high approval rates among top source countries
• For countries with lower approval rates, important to understand and address underlying causes
COUNTRY OF CITIZENSHIP 2012 APPROVAL RATE
CHINA 81%
INDIA 61%
REP. KOREA 91%
FRANCE 99%
SAUDI ARABIA 91%
BRAZIL 93%
MEXICO 91%
JAPAN 98%
Source: dwsweb;(4) International Region/nim_caips_studperm_ as of April 23, 2013
Study Permit Processing: Inland
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DateStudy Permit Application
Online PaperAs of May 1, 2013 42 Days 76 Days
Source: Central Processing Region, CIC
Processing times for study permits from visa and medical exempt countries (VESPA) is just under 20 days
Visa Office Closures
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DamascusTehranBerlinDhakaKuala LumpurTokyoBelgradeCaracasSeoulBuffalo, Detroit, Seattle
Beirut or AmmanAnkaraViennaSingaporeSingaporeManilaViennaMexico CityManilaLos Angeles
From TR applications submitted to:
Modernization and Service Improvement
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• Recent months have seen many online innovations toward service improvement
• In November, the online Help Centre (www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre) was launched on CIC’s external website
– Help Centre offers information on over 500 of the most commonly sought topics, covers CIC’s key lines of business and services, and facilitates online client self‐service
• Building on the success of the VESPA pilot project, December saw the global launch of electronic applications for all visitors, students and workers, marking a major milestone toward modernization
– Using secure MyCIC account, applicants can apply and pay for applications online – VESPA has effectively ended (ref OB 486)
• December also saw the rollout of the eMedical initiative, which will allow physicians to submit medical results online to be integrated with the client’s information in CIC’s systems
• VACs are service provider companies that offer administrative support to clients who are applying as temporary residents: visitors, temporary foreign workers and international students
• Client service agents at the VACs help ensure applications are complete, which reduces unnecessary delays or refusals due to incomplete applications
• VACs play no role in the decision‐making process and are expressly forbidden to provide any visa‐related advices to applicants
• VACs will also be the main location for the collection of biometrics
Fast facts on VACs
• 67 VACs in 47 countries, with plans to expand this network to over 130 locations in 95 countries
• It is estimated that more than 80% of world‐wide clients will use the services of VACs• Wider opening hours and services provided in the local language makes the VACs more
convenient for clients
Visa Application Centres (VACs)
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Other Policy and Program Updates
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Biometrics
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• Beginning in 2013 visitors, international students and foreign workers from certain visa‐required countries and territories will be required to have their fingerprints and photo taken when they apply for a visa, or permit.
• The new requirement will be phased in over several months to allow CIC to set up the biometric points of service.
• There will be more than 70 biometric points of service abroad where applicants can have their biometric information taken.
• Most applicants will provide their biometric information at Visa Application Centres (VACs). VACs are independent service providers authorized by the Government of Canada to facilitate the submission of visa applications and will be key to supporting the implementation of biometrics.
• The Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations will set out the countries and territories whose nationals will need to have their fingerprints and photos taken.
• For more information on this initiative, please write to [email protected]
• Improving Canada’s standing as a destination of choice for international students is a priority for federal and provincial/territorial governments
• Proposed reforms to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations published for public comment December 29, 2012
• Key proposed reforms include:– Limiting issuance of study permits to international students destined to educational institutions
designated for the purpose of hosting international students, based on minimum standards– Introducing new study permit conditions to ensure that international students are enrolled at a
designated institution and actively pursuing studies while in Canada on a study permit – Streamlining work permit access to eligible international students attending designated learning
institutions, and providing certain study permit holders with the automatic authority to work part‐time off‐campus
– Authorizing issuance of removal orders in circumstances where students are not complying with new study permit conditions
• Proposed reforms would come into effect as of January 1, 2014
Improving Canada’s Standing as a Study Destination
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On coming into force, as of January 1, 2014, per pre‐published Regulations in Canada Gazette:
• Individuals who already hold a study permit and are studying at a non‐designated institution may complete the program of study in which they were enrolled
• Individuals who already hold a study permit and are studying at a non‐designated institution may obtain an extension to complete the program of study in which they were enrolled for the duration of their program of study or three years after the day on which the proposed Regulations come into force, whichever is shorter
• The condition of actively pursuing studies would immediately be effective at the coming into force of regulations, and therefore, the option to issue a removal order for not actively pursuing studies would also be in place immediately
Transitional Provisions
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Questions
Citizenship and Immigration Canada:– CIC Call Centre: 1‐888‐242‐2100– CIC Help Centre: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre– www.cic.gc.ca– [email protected]
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END
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