Indian students make the greatest contribution? Canadian visas tighten, India is in a hurry!
As Canada tightens its control over its borders, India is demanding that Canada improve predictability, transparency, and efficiency in processing Indian student visas, as Indian students have made significant contributions to the Canadian economy.
India stated in the 12th Canada Trade Policy Review discussion of the World Trade Organization (WTO) that "Canada is one of the preferred destinations for Indian students pursuing higher education. Based on this background and the contribution of Indian students to the Canadian economy, we call on Canada to improve predictability, transparency, and speed up the processing of Indian student visas. At the same time, the problems faced by Indian students during their study abroad in Canada, including housing, intimidation, discrimination, and safety issues, should be properly addressed
According to the latest data from India's tourism statistics report, Canada is the second most preferred destination for Indian students studying abroad, with 1.8 million Indian students going to Canada for further studies. This demonstrates the growing popularity of Canada among Indian students.
According to the documents submitted by India to the WTO, the bilateral trade in goods between India and Canada reached 9.36 billion yuan in 2023, and the estimated trade in services was about 10 billion yuan. The trade surplus of goods is biased towards India. In 2022, India will be Canada's tenth largest trading partner. The main products exported by India to Canada include pharmaceuticals, electronic products, jewelry, gemstones and precious metals, seafood, engineering products, and automotive parts. The main commodities imported by India from Canada include minerals, legumes, potassium fertilizers, newspapers, scrap iron and aluminum, industrial chemicals, and gemstones.
Canada is the 17th largest foreign investor in India, with a cumulative investment of 5.29 billion Canadian dollars from April 2000 to March 2024, accounting for 0.57% of the total foreign direct investment flowing into India. The Canadian pension fund has accumulated investments of over CAD 75 billion in India and sees India as a favorable investment destination.
Currently, 600 Canadian companies have branches in India, and over 1000 companies are conducting business in the Indian market. At the same time, Indian companies' business in Canada involves multiple fields, including information technology, banking, pulp and fiber, natural resources, health sciences, and financial services. This two-way commercial exchange enhances the economic ties between the two countries and promotes the development and cooperation of multiple industries.
Why do Indians like to immigrate to Canada?
According to a study by the National Policy Foundation (NFAP) in the United States, the number of Indian students enrolled in Canadian universities has surged in recent years. This trend reflects the strong interest of Indian students in Canadian higher education,
According to the analysis report of NFAP, "highly skilled foreign talents, including international students, choose Canada instead of the United States because it is difficult to obtain H-1B visas or permanent residency in the United States, while in Canada it is easy to obtain temporary work visas and then permanent residency."
According to NFAP data, the number of Indian immigrants to Canada increased from 32828 to 139715 from 2013 to 2023, a growth of 326%
The number of Indian students registered in Canadian universities has increased by over 5800% in the past 20 years, from 2181 in 2000 to 128928 in 2021, an increase of 126747 students.
Despite recent diplomatic issues between India and Canada, Canada remains the preferred destination for Indian students.
Canada tightens control over its borders
According to government data obtained by Reuters, Canada has rejected a record number of immigrants who entered with official documents. With the increasingly severe housing shortage and high housing prices, the Liberal government led by Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau is facing growing pressure to reduce the number of temporary residents. The surge in visa refusal rates coincides with this period.
In July 2024 alone, Canada denied entry to 5853 foreign travelers, the highest record since January 2019. These travelers include international students, workers, and tourists who have been "ordered to leave". In addition, 285 visa holders were deemed ineligible for entry in July, the highest monthly record since 2019.
In addition, in the first seven months of 2024, an average of 3727 foreign tourists were denied entry each month, an increase of 20% compared to last year. This growth reflects Canada's implementation of stricter entry control measures.
The number of visas approved by Immigration Canada has decreased
The Canadian government has not publicly discussed the specific policy changes that have led to an increase in visa rejections.
A spokesperson for the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) stated that the CBSA's role, policies, and practices have always been to assess the eligibility of individuals to enter Canada. This has not changed
At the same time, the number of visas approved by Canadian immigration authorities is also decreasing. In January, February, May, and June 2024, the rejection rate of visa applications exceeded the approval rate, reaching the highest level since the peak of the pandemic.
In addition, the number of study and work permits approved by Canada has decreased from the high levels of 2023 and 2022.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller said in August, "Canadians want a system that won't get out of control
This downward trend is part of the government's broader efforts to limit the number of applicants for permanent residency.
The Canadian government announced in January that it had set a limit on the number of study permits for international students.
In addition, the government is also reducing the Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) program. The Trudeau government announced that employers in industries with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher will be restricted from hiring low paying temporary foreign workers, except in specific "food safety sectors" such as agriculture and food processing.
Indians are one of the largest groups of international students and low wage workers immigrating to Canada, so these restrictions will have the greatest impact on Indians.
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