Canadian immigration minister Marc Miller has known as on greater training establishments to look past India for worldwide college students, sparking criticism from the sector about systemic processing limitations which are hindering diversification.
“I’d say universities and faculties have been going to 1 or two supply international locations, and continually going again to the nicely on that, and we count on the variety of scholars,” Miller informed a Toronto media channel.
“That doesn’t imply that Indian college students aren’t among the greatest and brightest. Certainly, [as] one of many largest populations on the earth, you’d count on college students to come back from India,” he mentioned.
Miller requested universities and faculties to rebrand and “change their pitch” to draw college students from totally different international locations.
“There’ll at all times be college students from India,” he maintained.
Whereas sector leaders agreed with Miller concerning the deserves of diversification, his feedback have sparked criticism from those that say the system itself is limiting establishments’ efforts to diversify.
“We will’t speak about diversification with out fixing the system that processes these college students,” Isaac Garcia-Sitton, govt director of worldwide scholar enrolment at TMU informed The PIE Information.
“Systemic limitations – like examine allow refusals inside days of submission, sluggish visa processing occasions (among the many longest within the prime 10 examine locations), and the unintended penalties of automated decision-making rejecting certified college students – make it tough to show this purpose right into a actuality,” mentioned Garcia-Sitton.
You may’t ask establishments to diversify whereas the bottom retains shifting beneath them
Isaac Garcia-Sitton, Toronto Metropolitan College
In 2023, Indian college students made up roughly 41% of Canada’s worldwide college students, adopted by college students from China (10%) and the Philippines (5%), with stakeholders pointing to sustained diversification efforts over the previous 5 to seven years.
“What’s problematic with Minister Miller’s feedback is that establishments have diversified, primarily specializing in the African continent and Southeast Asia; nonetheless, we’re seeing vital delays in examine allow processing or a excessive stage of visa denials in these areas,” mentioned Vinitha Gengatharan, assistant vice-president, world engagement & partnerships at York College.
“Whereas it’s straightforward to say diversify, that should even be met with recourses to help it,” mentioned Gengatharan, urging the federal government to handle DLIs that “contravene a real worldwide scholar program”.
Moreover, fixed coverage adjustments from the IRCC since January 2024 have made it “close to unimaginable” to construct sustainable long-term recruitment methods in an more and more unpredictable working system, mentioned stakeholders.
Whereas Miller didn’t acknowledge the systemic points hindering diversification, sector members agreed on the advantages of diversifying to counterpoint Canada’s school rooms and communities and stop an overreliance on one or two supply markets.
College students from totally different backgrounds “enrich our school rooms and communities with numerous views and concepts”, turning into both “a much-needed expertise pool for Canada” or serving as “ambassadors” and “champions” overseas, mentioned Gengatharan.
What’s extra, establishments are aware of the hazards of counting on one or two supply markets, citing foreign money fluctuations, geopolitical tensions and populism amongst myriad elements inflicting elevated volatility throughout the globe.
And but, “diversifying the worldwide scholar physique is greater than only a numbers sport – it’s about strengthening Canada’s educational ecosystem,” mentioned Garcia-Sitton.
“Minister Miller raises a legitimate level concerning the want for diversification however the messaging issues.”
Over the previous yr, this very ecosystem has been battered by coverage adjustments and unfavourable rhetoric damaging Canada’s worldwide repute, with Miller’s newest feedback solely including to the issue, mentioned critics.
“Singling out Indian college students, even unintentionally, dangers making a narrative that they’re a part of the issue – when in truth, they’ve been central to Canada’s worldwide training success,” mentioned Garcia-Sitton.
“Framing diversification as a transfer ‘away’ from India might alienate a group that has been central to our success,” he continued.
With information displaying curiosity in Canada is falling far under preliminary targets set beneath the federal government caps, TMU has seen a “appreciable” drop in purposes from Indian college students, based on assistant vice-president for worldwide, Cory Searcy.
“That mentioned, Indian college students proceed to use and are welcomed at TMU,” mentioned Searcy, including that the college would proceed to recruit Indian college students and people from around the globe.
Singling out Indian college students, even unintentionally, dangers making a narrative that they’re a part of the issue
Isaac Garcia-Sitton, Toronto Metropolitan College
In Miller’s feedback, he was eager to distance his immigration insurance policies from that of the US, sustaining that “you gained’t see Canada doing what the Trump Administration is doing… nor will we be adopting that rhetoric with respect to immigrants typically”.
Nonetheless, in contrast to the primary Trump presidency when Canada noticed a “Trump bump” in worldwide enrolments, sector members have warned that Canada’s personal visa backlogs, anti-immigrant sentiments and coverage shifts, amongst different points, might undermine its aggressive edge.
“Canada can’t simply assume it’ll be the default ‘Plan B’ for college kids disillusioned by US insurance policies,” mentioned Garcia-Sitton: “College students crave stability. If each Canada and the US are seen as politically risky, they could look elsewhere altogether.”
When approached for remark, the IRCC mentioned that whereas immigration is important to Canada’s financial development, greater numbers had been placing stress on “housing, infrastructure and social providers”.
It highlighted its 2025-2027 Immigration Ranges Plan, which, for the primary time ever, consists of non permanent resident targets to “assist align immigration planning with group capability”.
It didn’t remark particularly on the problem of diversifying worldwide scholar recruitment or on the variety of Indian college students in Canada.
