According to a National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) survey, Indian students are increasingly selecting other educational destinations. In Canada, the number of Indian students increased by 5,800%, whilst in the US, it increased by 45%.
According to a National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) report, the number of Indian students enrolled at Canadian colleges has increased significantly in recent years. According to the survey, there has been a noteworthy surge in the quantity of Indian students choosing Canada over the United States for their higher education.
As per the NFAP, the number of Indian students enrolled at Canadian institutions has increased by almost 5,800% in the past twenty years. In contrast, the number of Indian students enrolled in US universities increased by a mere 45% between 2000 and 2021.
According to the NFAP report, overseas students in Canada can become permanent residents in a few years after completing their education.
However, there are restrictions on employment-based green cards in the US, so Indian individuals with advanced degrees may have to wait decades to get permanent residence.
NFAP claims that the Trump administration may have deterred foreign students from attending US colleges by making it more difficult to get H-1B status and by discussing the possibility of introducing new regulations or eliminating Optional Practical Training for students.
Beginning in September, Canada will impose a cap on the number of “temporary residents” it will accept.
This covers people hired on a temporary basis abroad as well as those accepted under asylum and humanitarian programs.
Prior to this, permanent residents only had annual objectives.
Additionally, the diplomatic problems between India and Canada may have a temporary effect on Indian student admissions.
According to Peter Rekal, head of the Toronto-based immigration law firm Rekai LLP, “Due in large part to the difficulties in acquiring and renewing H-1B visas and locating a dependable path to permanent residency in the US, Canada is profiting from the diversion of young Indian tech professionals from US destinations..”
The journey to legal residency
The study emphasizes how appealing Canada’s immigration laws are to overseas students. According to NFAP, graduates in Canada, as opposed to the US, where the procedure may need lengthy waiting periods, have the possibility to get permanent status within a few years of graduation.
Since 2013, the number of Indians relocating to Canada has significantly increased. The number increased by 326%, from 32,828 to 139,715 between 2013 and 2023. An surge in Indian students attending Canadian institutions contributed to this growth.
In 2021, there were 400,521 foreign students enrolled in Canadian institutions, a 544% increase from 62,223 in 2000. For Canadian institutions, international students have proven extremely essential. International students have contributed 45% of the increase in enrollment at Canadian institutions since 2000.
The number of international students attending Canada has increased significantly, in large part due to the surge of Indian students. The proportion of Indian students enrolled in Canadian institutions has increased by more than 5,000% in the past 20 years.
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