Canada tightens admission of foreign students, significantly affecting Vietnamese students studying abroad

The Canadian government's tightening of foreign student admissions has had a significant impact on Vietnamese students, but there are also opportunities if you make the right choice.

Students at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. (Source: Radio-Canada)

According to the Canadian government, the country will cut the number of study permits issued to international students by another 10% in the next two years (2025 and 2026) to reduce the number of study permits by about 300,000 from now. This year, the number of study permits is expected to be 485,000, but only more than 200,000 have been issued.

Ms. Tran Xuan An, CEO of Bui Immigration, shared that the Canadian government is tightening and severely limiting the number of international students entering the country. There are many conditions that will change for candidates who want to apply for a student visa or a work visa to Canada in the near future. According to her, the main reason is that the Immigration Department of this country wants to focus on keeping candidates who are currently studying, preparing to graduate and working in Canada.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Hong Ha, CEO of StudyLink Study Abroad Company in Calgary, Alberta, said that despite the new regulations, including not granting a three-year work permit to students studying in college programs, the Canadian government still leaves open the recruitment for occupations with severe labor shortages. The list of these priority occupations may be officially announced next November.

Some immigration experts say that the Canadian government and immigration authorities may be aiming to select students who want to come to the country to study genuinely and also to ensure the quality of theireducation .

Along with limiting the number of international students, the Canadian government has also set out a number of new regulations to reduce the total number of temporary residents from the current 6.5% to 5% in the coming time. This may create challenges, but also opportunities for Vietnamese students if they choose to study in fields with shortages of human resources such as engineering, technology, medicine or education.

The new measures will have a significant impact on international students, especially Vietnamese students, as the number of approved applications will decrease, leading to increased competition. However, Ms. Trang Phan believes that Vietnamese students need to plan early, prepare their academic and financial records, and carefully study the new regulations to have the opportunity to study and work in Canada in the future.

Accordingly, students need to prepare carefully in terms of academic ability and finance to maximize the chance of being accepted. Students also need to focus on industries with labor shortages and the ability to apply for a work permit after graduation, limiting the choice of private schools or short-term study programs.

Ms. Hong Ha of StudyLink Company commented that the actual number of study permits granted so far is 50% lower than the target, so there is no need to worry too much about not being granted a visa or study permit. The main concern is the majors that Vietnamese students will choose, as well as proving financial capacity.

According to statistics, the number of study permits actually issued in Canada to date is around 230,000, less than 50% of the target for 2024. This could open up opportunities for Vietnamese students if they switch to studying the professions that Canada is lacking as mentioned above. Canada’s new policy to limit international students may be both difficult and open up opportunities for students with flexible strategies and thorough preparation.

The Canadian government’s restriction on the number of students can be understood as a screening to eliminate the problem of taking advantage of the study abroad policy to work and settle down. Vietnamese students with good academic records, strong financial conditions and determination to study abroad will certainly still be selected.

Director Xuan An of Bui Immigration believes that the new measures of the Canadian Government in the past and in the future are only to screen candidates and immigrants with good qualifications in expertise, skills and foreign languages ​​to come here to study, work and contribute to the economy of this country.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/canada-siet-chat-tiep-nhan-sinh-vien-nuoc-ngoai-tac-dong-khong-nho-toi-luu-hoc-sinh-viet-nam-289930.html