This Thursday, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced that minimum funds that the students need to show in order to get a study visa is now double the amount that it was previously. Starting from January 1, the students need to have a minimum of 20,635 CAD in their bank accounts, which is amounts to 12.67 lakhs INR. This amount is almost double to what the previous requirement was, which amounted to 10,000 CAD (6.20 lakhs INR).
Miller claimed that this policy was announced in order to address the issue of comfortable and sustainable accommodation of foreign students in Canada. He said that it was found that students believed that the 10,000 CAD that they arrived would be enough to sustain themselves which turns out to no longer be the case. Students then become more vulnerable to exploitative methods of income earning and hence risk their safety.
He also claimed that a large influx of international students contributes highly to the existing housing problem in Canada and it would be unfair to blame the students for it. Hence, educational institutes are expected to only give admissions to students that they believe they can reliably provide accommodations and relief for. He also believes that it is their responsibility to allow students to learn how to adequate sustain themselves in a country far from their home.
This follows a number of similar announcements which indicate that Canada is examining their immigration policies with a stronger magnifying glass and wants to ensure a smoother working of their operations. In the same vein, it was also announced that a limit of working for 20 hours will be imposed on International students working in Canada.
They also promised to crackdown on fraudulent colleges and immigration schemes and aids that have plagued aspirants for a very long time. Numerous students have been hoodwinked by dubious immigration consultants and schemes that promise them a reliable way of achieving their dreams of studying in Canada but not delivering on the promise, paving a way for the students to exploited. He also compared some institutes to educational equivalent of puppy mills churning out diplomas and says that those are in dire need to be stopped.
Indian students will be majorly impacted:
Various students have been impacted by these revised requirements for study visa. A significant chunk of International students in Canada is of Indian nationality, especially from Punjab, with statistics indicating that 2.26 lakh students secured study visas for Canada in 2022, with nearly 1.36 lakhs being Punjabis. Currently, over three and a half lakh Punjabi students are enrolled in Canadian institutions.
Indian students are also faced with numerous financial constraints that already make studying abroad a rather costly affair for the Indian aspirants. This can be attributed to increased costs of IELTS examinations, college fees and rental charges.
The cost of sustenance in foreign countries become so taxing that a majority of students are forced to return home to their countries, wasting a significant amount of money for their families.