International students a challenge

“March 18th was really the date visas got shut down in various countries because of COVID. So if you had a visa before the 18th, you were in a good place. After that, it slowed down. In fact, some offices even closed.

She says there are also some challenges with some countries of origin. For instance, in India, travel is heavily restricted.

Canada is the third most popular destination in the world for international students, with Ontario and BC are the two most popular Canadian destinations. And it’s big business. Last year, 620,000 international students contributed $21.6 billion dollars to Canada’s GDP.

“Just recently, the federal government to approval in principle on visas. So students could start the process, get preliminary approval and then they could apply and be accepted into programs here in Canada.”

However, she says that is not a guarantee of a visa and it is a gamble for prospective students.

by Cheryl Jahn

International students a challenge

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