Erudera data said that India had the most study permit holders in 2022 in Canada, with 226,450 students
With the strain in India-Canada relations, a major problem that is plaguing Indian students in Canada are the lack of job opportunities, reported PTI. According to the global education search platform Erudera, the total number of international students in all education levels in Canada is 807,750, including higher education. Of this, 551,405 received a study permit in Canada last year. Erudera data said that India had the most study permit holders in 2022 in Canada, with 226,450 students.
“I am not thinking about the India-Canada rift so much. I am more worried and concerned about my future. There is a huge dearth of jobs here, and I don’t know whether I will be able to secure work once I complete my studies,” a student told PTI.
Several Indian students around the Greater Toronto area echoed similar sentiments. A student who is pursuing a course in health services at an institute in the Greater Toronto area said that while he and his friends had not experienced any difficulties in the aftermath of the diplomatic standoff between Delhi and Ottawa, what is giving him sleepless nights is the thought of not finding work once he finishes his studies in Toronto. “I know of several Indian students with medical degrees here who have been unable to find decent-paying jobs and are driving cabs and working in stores, and restaurants to pay bills. It is a very challenging situation for us,” he said.
“Our parents have spent a lot to send us to Canada to study. We had hoped that after arriving here, we would not take a single penny from our parents and instead would be able to help our families back home financially. We had hoped to find good jobs that sustain us and also enable us to take care of our families in India. We are not able to do that,” said a student.
The high cost of living in and around Toronto and other Canadian cities is also hurting students who are compelled to live in cramped rooms to save on rent and other utilities. “We had come with the hope that once we complete our education here, we will be able to secure well-paying jobs and help our parents and families back home in India. But there are no jobs; the cost of living, healthcare is back-breaking and we are struggling to make ends meet,” another Indian student from Haryana, who did not wish to be named, said.
According to ICEF Monitor, a market intelligence resource for the global education industry, there were 320,000 Indian students with active study permits at the end of December 2022, a growth of 47 per cent over the previous year. “Indian students accounted for nearly four out of every ten foreign students in Canada as of the end of 2022,” ICEF Monitor said.
The Indian students described their difficulties as being no different from getting stuck between a rock and a hard place. They spoke about the hardships their families and parents in India have endured to send them abroad for higher studies. “Parents have had to sell properties, land, take massive loans to pay for the higher education of their children in Canada,” the students pointed out.
“Our parents have spent a lot to send us to Canada to study. We had hoped that after arriving here, we would not take a single penny from our parents and instead would be able to help our families back home financially. We had hoped to find good jobs that sustain us and also enable us to take care of our families in India. We are not able to do that,” said a student.
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