Diplomatic fallout: Number of Indian students going to Canada may drop

Chennai: Given the current situation between India and Canada, there may be a drop in the number of Indian students going to Canada for higher studies, said a consultant with Star Global Education Alliance.

“Many students who were keen on choosing Canada as their desired destination are now looking at alternatives in countries like the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the USA,” Ravi Veeravalli, Principal Consultant, Star Global Education Alliance, told IANS.

According to Veeravalli, there is a general sense of uneasiness in Canada among the students who are expecting some kind of retaliation by the Canadians.

“We are concerned about the evolving situation there. We are talking to our daughter studying there on a daily basis and have asked her to follow the instructions given by the Indian Embassy there,” a parent, whose daughter is studying in Canada, told IANS preferring anonymity.

“She chose Canada as the course cost there was comparatively lower than other countries,” he added.

“Indian students form the largest chunk of international students studying in Canada. The number of Indian students who were granted visas in 2022 was approximately 2,25,000. The contribution of Indian students to the Canadian exchequer is extremely significant, and so is in the area of skill shortages in the Canadian economy,” Veeravalli said.

Canada has been a favourite destination for students from North India despite around 50 per cent visa declines, he added.

The main attraction has been the post-study work permits which a student gets after the completion of education. In most of the cases. it spans from 1-3 years, Veeravalli said.

According to him, the Canadian qualifications and the subsequent post-study work provide an easy pathway to permanent residency (PR) there.

In the past two years, more than 10 lakh of visa grants have been issued to Indians by Canada, including visitor, student and citizenship. Canada is consistently granting over 4,00,000 PR applications every year for the past few years for applicants from all over the world, and a major chunk of it are people of Indian origin, Veeravalli added.