International Students: Trends, Policies, Challenges

Chedly Belkhodja and Sinziana Chira Université de Moncton-Dalhousie University

IRPP Ottawa, April 30 2012

A New Paradigm of International Immigration

• Migration and international mobility: hyper competition for highly skilled migrants in a globalized environment (Withol de Wenden, 2008 Castles, 2007; Ley, 2010, Vertovec, 2007) – Marketing and policy changes

• Immigration, devolution and regionalisation in a context of redefinition of the role of a federal state: provinces, municipalities and civil society are more involved in the issue of immigration (Alboim, 2010, Carter, 2010; Seidle, 2010)

• The changing role of universities: from managing diversity on campuses (Alboim and Cohl, 2007) to a “stepping-stone to immigration” (Suter and Jandl, 2008, Hawthorne, 2010, Walton-Roberts, 2011).

• Settelment and integration of new categories of immigrants and role of the welcoming community (Biles, Burstein and Frideries, 2008).

International Students and Immigration: The Ideal Link…

• I.S answer demographical stakes: low population growth and the aging of population in developed countries.

• I.S increase economic performances of developed countries: human capital for knowledge based economies.

• I.S integrate more easily the labour market : recognised diplomaes, work experience on and outside campuses, cultural integration, language skills.

• I.S. are becoming an added « international » cultural value to the « welcoming community » : campus, cities, regions.

• $$$: differential tuition fees

Belkhodja, 2011

Primary Global Destinations for

International Students: 2000 vs 2009

• Major players : United States, United Kingdom and Australia

• Middle powers : Germany and France

• Evolving destinations : Japan, Canada and New Zealand

• Emerging contenders : China, Singapore and Malaysia

• Countries of transition: ex: Tunisia, Switzerland

The Four Categories of Education

Suppliers

Source: Hawthorne, 2010

Increasing numbers

• Annual entries increasing in recent years – 98 378 international students

entered in Canada in 2011

• Total number of students residing in Canada also increasing – 239 131 students residing in

Canada (as of December 1, 2011)

Source: Catrina Tapley, CIC, 2010.

International Students in Canada

Opening the system for International Students

• On campus work experience

• 2006: the right to work off campus during studies: 20 hours a week during school and full time on off semesters.

• 2008: post-graduation work permits no longer require a job offer, no geographical restriction, work in a field unrelated to their education, up to three years

Fast tracking international students: The ‘2-step system’

• Canadian Experience Class – quick access to Canadian permanent residence

– allow certain highly skilled temporary workers and foreign students, already living in Canda to remain in Canada while they apply for permanent residence without having to file their applications abroad

• Provincial Nominee Programs – Such programs are designed to allow provincial and territorial governments that have

agreements with the federal government to nominate the number and types of immigrants which are specified in such bilateral agreement

• International Graduate Stream: NFLD, NS, ONT, MAN, SASK, ALB, BC, QC, PEI

• International PhD Stream – 2011 addition to the Federal Skilled Worker Program, making PhDs past their 2nd year

eligible to become PRs

CEC and International Graduates • Launched in 2008

• Conditions

– Enrolled for at least two years full time

– At least one year of full time skilled work experience in Canada after graduation (work experience under the permit must be at Skill Type 0, or Skill Level A or B under the National Occupational Classification)

• Skills: the “trial run” model to retain “high skills”…time and flexibility (Sweetman, 2011)

CEC and International Graduates

• Approval Rate for student stream : 86 % (Lowe, 2011)

• Depuis la mise en œuvre, plus de 3 400 visas ont été délivrés dans le volet des travailleurs étrangers temporaires et plus de 3 300 dans le volet des diplômés.

– Visas de la CEC délivrés en 2010 : 2 185 dans le volet des travailleurs étrangers temporaires 1 750 dans le volet des diplômés (CIC)

• of the 1372 students landing in Canada under the Canadian Experience Class Program in 2009, only 28 landed in Atlantic Canada, while 927 landed in Ontario, 218 in BC and 179 in Alberta (van Huystee, CIC, 2011)

International Students in Canada becoming PR by family status and immigration class

CIC, Faits et chiffres, 2011

Table from van Huystee (2011), p. 19.

International Students in Canada becoming PR by family status and immigration class in Atlantic Canada

International Students in Canada becoming PR by immigration class in Canada and the Atlantic region (principal applicants only)

Category 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Family class 1,720 1,273 1,395 1,892 2,123 1,887 2,012 1,985 1,747

Family class Atlantic 25 22 35 45 55 51 47 64 50

Skilled Workers

national

2,124 2,046 1,980 2,691 2,832 4,230 4,324 4,015 2,861

SW Atlantic 64 65 44 69 72 111 109 123 73

CEC National 1372

CEC Atlantic 28

PNP National 5 5 25 63 55 122 102 134 149

PNP Atlantic 3 0 4 7 11 12 16 21 16

Total Economic

immigrants national

2,157 2,067 2,022 2,780 2,914 4,380 4,450 4,178 3,127

Total Economic

immigrants Atlantic

69 65 48 76 83 123 125 144 89

From post-grad

worker national

411

(3 %)

315

(3 %)

329

(4 %)

438

(4 %)

531

(4 %)

1,012

(6 %)

1,313

(7 %)

1,914

(7 %)

3,522

(12 %)

From post-grad

worker national

Atlantic

16

(5.2%)

11

(4.6%)

13

(6 %)

20

(5.4%)

31

(8.5%)

101

(15.3%)

144

(20.9%)

157

(16.6%)

161

(17.1%)

ACOA Research on International Graduates

• Identify and describe current policy initiatives and practices in Atlantic Canada designed to attract and integrate international students and graduates into localized labour markets

• Review labor market integration issues and highlight localized needs

• Highlight localized and regional best practices as well as policy and practice gaps.

The Number of International Students is Increasing in Atlantic Universities

Universities 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Memorial 416 528 626 719 832 925 899 1086 1194 1329

Acadia 558 669 652 692 610 515 438 400 379 383

A.S.T - 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1

Dalhousie 955 1130 1199 1116 1076 1055 1034 1219 1613 1901

Mt. St. Vincent 72 116 145 127 139 177 218 256 322 369

N.S. Agricultural 16 16 27 21 44 53 78 119 185 193

N.S.C.A.D. 49 45 52 64 58 55 63 74 69 90

Saint Mary’s 538 697 770 921 934 1006 1078 1325 1465 1636

St. Francis Xavier 201 230 223 191 214 200 223 233 235 241

U College of C.B. 70 129 184 208 227 466 690 319 405 688

U of King’s College 19 32 40 39 37 35 29 38 44 48

U of Saint Anne 14 12 19 16 25 27 37 58 41 42

Mount Allison 138 144 135 148 160 154 155 190 216 219

St. Thomas 68 92 122 136 128 125 112 77 71 80

U de Moncton 227 254 278 284 333 405 449 551 580 611

U.N.B. 1044 1391 1438 1387 1159 988 909 990 1170 1346

U.P.E.I. 167 164 208 230 266 277 354 452 518 515

Total-Atlantic 4552 5650 6119 6301 6243 6464 6767 7388 7294 8363

Source : Association of Atlantic Universities, 2011

The Case of a Small University

1. Attracting Foreign Students

2. Integrating Foreign Students

3. Retaining Foreign Graduates

• Cultural integration

• Economic integration

Universities and Communities

Disconnected Connected

Challenges

• Roles of post-secondary institutions: attraction and retention of talent

• Funding of post-secondary support services

• Settlement needs of international students are becoming an increasingly important public policy issue

• Bringing the employer in

Some Initiatives

• Entrepreneurship Training Program for International Graduate Students at Memorial University of Newfoundland

• Volunteering as a way of connecting and gaining Canadian experience – Farmers Market , Saint John’s, NFLD

• Mentoring programs linking int. students with members of the business and professional community – Halifax Connector Program started by the Greater Halifax Partnership

in 2010- now replicated across the Atlantic and beyond (Quebec)

– « Instauration d’une approche concertée pour l’intégration des étudiantes et étudiants étrangers francophones dans leur nouveau milieu d’accueil »: Community College of Dieppe-Université de Moncton and Chamber of Commerce of Greater Moncton

Immigration, skills… and Nation Building

New immigrants capable of participating in the economic, social and political/civic life

Support for settlement: Ongoing and significant emphasis to provide services for supporting immigrant settlement and integration (e.g., language training, information and orientation, social engagement, initiatives to facilitate integration into the labour market).

Welcoming Communities : Giving tools to communities in order to be more welcoming to new immigrants (awareness programs, intercultural dialogue, etc).