Canada Calling: BC introduces 30% cap on international students, minister says come to study, not settle; Delhi girl dies in crash days after reaching Surrey

Kwantlen Polytechnic University, however, exceeded the new limit with 36 percent of its enrolment for the 2023-24 academic year. University officials noted that the school year began before the federal government set an annual cap of 360,000 international students, a 35 percent reduction from 2023. Zena Mitchell, the university’s vice-president, mentioned that the provincial guidelines were in line with their expectations.

The guidelines, effective this month, require schools to align with the cap over the coming year. The B.C. government also states that the cap is intended to prevent undue pressure on local communities due to high enrolment levels.

Meanwhile, as per Immigration News Canada, 51,450 Indians landed in Canada as new permanent residents (PRs) in the first 4 months of 2024 which is almost equal to total Indian PRs landed in 2017 (51,590)

‘Come to Canada to study, not to stay’

The Canadian government is currently reviewing its issuance of long-term visas for foreign students in an effort to slow down immigration amidst rapid population growth. Immigration Minister Marc Miller emphasized the need to align the number of foreign students with the demands of the domestic labor market.

Traditionally, Canada has welcomed educated immigrants, including those coming for studies. However, a shift in policy is now apparent, as Minister Miller explained to Bloomberg. He stressed that a study visa should not be seen as a guaranteed path to extended residency in Canada. Instead, the original purpose of these visas was for individuals to gain knowledge and skills that they could potentially apply in their home countries.

This year, Canada plans to issue 300,000 visas, a notable decrease from the 437,000 granted last year. Authorities will carefully evaluate which students will be encouraged to stay in Canada and which will need to return to their home countries.

Minister Miller also pointed out the government’s focus on ensuring that job opportunities for international students align with their fields of study, addressing labor shortages across the country. The approach to welcoming global talent is evolving, with a stronger emphasis on matching post-graduate work permits with the needs of the Canadian labor market.

Indian student dies in high-speed Surrey crash days after arriving in Canada

Friends and family are grieving the loss of a 19-year-old Indian student who tragically died in a high-speed crash in Surrey last week, just two days after her arrival in Canada, as reported by the Vancouver Sun.

A GoFundMe campaign has identified the young woman only as Saniya, an international student who arrived in Canada on July 9, “full of hope and excitement for a bright future.” Instead of beginning her hospitality and tourism course, she was killed in the early morning hours last Thursday when the car she was in lost control and crashed.

“We are now faced with the heart-wrenching task of bringing her body back to India so she can rest in peace among her loved ones. The costs associated with this are overwhelming, and our family has already exhausted our savings to send her to Canada,” wrote Baljinder Bhandal, the fundraiser’s organizer.

Bhandal, who runs a nonprofit group in Surrey that supports international students, spoke on behalf of Saniya’s parents, brother, and sister in Delhi and her aunt and uncle in California, who are “absolutely devastated” by her death. Bhandal mentioned that Saniya did not have a last name listed on her passport.

Saniya had previously taken courses in hair and makeup design and nail art, consistently excelling in her studies. Bhandal, who is assisting the family in gathering Saniya’s belongings and preparing her body for return to Delhi, remarked, “She was a very sharp student, it has just broken her family.”

Saniya had planned to stay in Canada for a year before moving to the U.S. to be closer to some family members, said Bhandal. “We are reaching out to you, our friends, family, and kind-hearted strangers, for support. Any contribution, no matter how small, will help us cover the expenses of sending Saniya’s body back to India and providing her with a proper farewell.”

The single-vehicle accident occurred just north of King George Boulevard last Thursday around 1:30 a.m. According to RCMP, a woman was thrown from the vehicle and died, while two other occupants, also international students from India, were trapped in the vehicle and later taken to the hospital. The driver, a 23-year-old man, and the passenger, a 22-year-old man, remain hospitalized. Investigators believe speed may have been a factor in the crash.