Have we placed too much emphasis on Canada in shaping our future? Indian students have achieved success with and without Canada. It’s time we question whether we have overhyped Canada as the ultimate route to success. Let’s dig deeper into the story behind this phenomenon.
How Canada’s Student Visa System Went from Exclusive to Accessible
Before 2007 it took a lot of work to get a student visa from Canada. In April 2009, the Student Partners Programme was started by Canada, which was an arrangement between Canadian educational institutions and the Canadian High Commission in India. Its objective was to provide a quick and easy study visa for the prospective students of participating institutions in Canada. This initiative gathered admiration from both sides, including students and participating institutions. The number of institutions in the arrangement increased from around 23 to 40, with most of these institutions concentrated around Ontario and the British Columbia region.
Everything ran smoothly for the next seven to eight years, from 2009 to 2016-17, with Canada accepting a specified number of students every year. Sensing the huge potential of the education export market, which at that time was dominated by institutions from Australia, the UK, and New Zealand, Canadian institutions began to promote themselves. An increased number of students started to apply at Canadian institutions due to good promotions and there was oversubscription as a result. Although the number of applications was increasing, the number of student visa approvals maintained its rate.
An increase in visa refusal reinstated Canada’s position that it is not easy to get a student visa in this country. Then came COVID-19 which changed everything forever, during 2021 – 2022 many ups and downs were seen in Canada’s immigration system. Canada’s government relaxed its immigration policies to overcome the pandemic slowdown, and this changed Canada’s image. Rules brought in by Canada post-pandemic made it easy to attain a visa to Canada. The status symbol that was attached to immigrating to Canada because of the difficulty in attaining visas was lost. Both the aspiring students and the institutions enrolling them took everything for granted as relaxed visas ironed out all the hurdles.
Immigration Generosity Brought New Challenges
Relaxed immigration rules made life easy for immigrants and the institutions. However, it pushed Canada into a complex immigration situation such as the housing crisis due to the rapid growth of the population fueled by immigration. Plus, there was increased pressure on public services such as transportation and healthcare. Cultural integration challenges and public sentiments were among the challenges faced. As everything looked to be getting out of control, Canada analysed the situation and its policies, bringing in several corrective actions.
The Hairpin Turn To Regain Lost Stature
In the last quarter of 2023, the ship sailing smoothly at top speed was turned around once again. Canada’s relaxation was taken back one after another, causing a lot of noise among visa aspirants and others in the immigration industry.
It is basic human nature, that we only remember the good times, as we long to stay in there. Talking from the side of students, they only remembered the period that started in 2019 when various relaxations were given. The relaxation included the provision to work full-time for students and the extension of post-graduate work permits. It is not just the students who got used to this comforting atmosphere, but institutions in Canada as well.
Things started to turn around as student visa capping was introduced, which spoiled the calculations for institutions in Canada, which were rejoicing in the increased flow of students. The reversal of PGWP caused an uproar among students. In the middle of this turmoil, immigration agents who lacked strong grounding were swept away by the flow of change. The rollback of policies from Canada to regain its glam and shine as a premier education destination has cleaned the market.
Also Read: Your Guide to Surviving Canada’s Immigration Changes
Time to Break Free from the Hype
These corrective actions have fetched a lot of negativity from people, highlighting the belief that Canada was a big part of their lives, and particularly of their professional success. The actions of most people were dependent on how Canada was behaving, to the point of almost being dictated. We weren’t considering immigration and higher education in Canada as one of many possible paths to success, but rather as the only option—something that clearly required rethinking.
With that said, the question now arises: Is Canada leading us, or are we leading Canada? In other words, the decision to move to Canada—or any other country—should be ours to make. We must be mindful of the visa we choose. If it’s a study visa, let it be for the quality of education; if it’s for immigration, let’s first assess our qualifications and experience to see if they align with the country’s needs; and if it’s for tourism, let it be for the joy of travel. Take control of your life and career, and navigate your path on your own terms. Talk to immigration consultants in Chandigarh before making plans to move abroad.
Takeaway
Studying in Canada can be a transformative experience, however, success isn’t exclusive to moving abroad. Canada offers valuable opportunities, but weighing the benefits against your current profile standing, career goals, and associated risks is important. You can make better decisions if you view Canadian immigration as one of the many possible avenues to success. True achievement is more about skill development, and increasing your self-worth rather than reaching a particular destination.
