Canada Issues Record 450,000 Study Visas In 12 Months; Indian Grab 48% Share |Highest Since 2015!

• Canada has achieved another record by providing more international student permits than ever before.
• Last year, nearly 450,000 new study permits took effect in Canada. The figure has almost doubled since 2015 and easily broke the highest record set in 2019.
• India got the most permits. Approximately 217,410 permits were issued to Indian students.

Canada has achieved another record. This time with the number of international students it welcomed in 2021 through the Study Permit program.

Study permits doubled since 2015

Last year, approximately 450,000 new study permits took effect in Canada, an astounding figure that has almost doubled since 2015 and broke the previous highest record set in 2019.

India recieved the highest permits

India received the most permits. Approximately 217,410 permits were issued to Indian students. China came in second place, it received about 105,265 study permits.

Due to the pandemic, Canada had issued only approximately 255,000 study permits in 2020.

As of 31st December, Canada had approximately 622,000 international students. The country’s international student population was approximately 640,000 people in 2019 before the pandemic caused it to decline to around 530,000 foreign students in 2020.

Canada allowed distance education in the pandemic

The loosening of COVID-19 curbs was a big reason for the rebound. Another likely contributor was Canada’s easing of Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) rules. Before the pandemic, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) did not allow distance learning to count towards PGWP eligibility, but they have temporarily modified this policy until 31st August, 2022 to assist those who want to continue with their Canadian study plans amidst the pandemic.

The purpose of a PGWP

International students who complete their studies at a Canadian designated learning institutions are eligible to obtain a PGWP. The PGWP allows international graduates to aquire the Canadian work experience they need to be eligible to apply for permanent residence (PR).

The top 5 international student source countries as of December 31, 2021 were:

1. India: 217,410

2. China: 105,265

3. France: 26,630

4. Iran: 16,900

5. Vietnam: 16,285

Source-https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/study/canada-breaks-record-issues-450000-study-permits-in-2021-with-india-leading-the-pack/articleshow/90430489.cms