Ottawa: Canada saw nearly 450,000 new study permits take effect last year, a staggering figure that has almost doubled since 2015 and easily broke the previous all-time record set in 2019. India was the biggest beneficiary, with 217,410 permits being issued to Indian students. China came in second, receiving about 105,265 study permits.
Due to the pandemic, Canada had issued just over 255,000 study permits in 2020. As of December 31st, Canada had nearly 622,000 international students. Its international student population stood at nearly 640,000 people in 2019 before the pandemic caused it to fall to around 530,000 foreign students in 2020.
The lifting of coronavirus curbs was a major reason for the rebound. Another contributor was likely Canada’s easing of Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) rules. Prior to the pandemic, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) did not allow distance learning to count towards PGWP eligibility, but they have temporarily relaxed this policy until August 31, 2022 to help those who want to go ahead with their Canadian study plans amid the pandemic.
International students who complete their studies at a Canadian designated learning institution are eligible to obtain a PGWP. The PGWP enables international graduates to gain the Canadian work experience they often need to be eligible to apply for permanent residence.
The top 5 international student source countries (as of December 31, 2021) were: India: 217,410, China: 105,265, France: 26,630, Iran: 16,900, Vietnam: 16,285.
