Canada is where international students want to go more than Australia and the US
In a survey by a global student recruitment company, more than 21,000 students from 100 countries chose Canada as the best place to study abroad.
In its Emerging Futures 3 report, IDP Connect found that Canada is the best place for foreign students to go to school, beating out both Australia and the United States.
27% of foreign students chose Canada as their top choice, 23% chose Australia, and 21% chose the United States. The United Kingdom came in at number four, with 18% of people picking it.
Only 3% of foreign students chose New Zealand as their favourite place to go, which was a long way behind Ireland, which was chosen by only 2% of these students.
The fact that foreign students can work while they study, get Post-Graduate Work Permits (PGWPs), and then move to Canada through the Express Entry system seems to be a big reason why they want to do so.
The IDP Connect report says that for 63% of students around the world, work after school is the main or one of the major reasons they choose where to study. Demand and interest from many countries are being fueled by post-college work programs.
Over half of students say that being able to get a job after school was a big factor in where they chose to study. By making it easier for people to go from school to work, more people from a wider range of countries will want to move to the target country.
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser is optimistic about bringing foreign students to Canada because they could be a source of future immigrants and a skilled workforce that will help the country fill jobs.
He gave foreigners with expired or expiring PGWPs another 18-month stay earlier this year.
Fraser said that we need to use every tool we have to help businesses that are still having trouble finding the people they need to grow.
At the same time, we're giving foreign graduates whose work permits are about to expire or have already expired more time to stay in Canada so they can get more work experience and possibly become permanent residents.
