Migrating to foreign destinations to pursue higher studies seems to be the norm these days for Indian students. It is widely believed that foreign countries offer a better quality of higher education, better job prospects and a better lifestyle too. It is an expensive change, but universities are offering generous scholarships to meritorious students these days. They can also work part-time during their stay there in order to pay for their expenses. The popular destinations Indian students look at to pursue their higher education are Australia, the United States of America, Germany, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Canada.

What and How

Canada is a popular destination for Indians for education and business purposes. The country has set a limit to the number of immigrants that would be allowed entry into the country at 300,000 for the year 2017. The number was same in 2016. Though the number of refugees accepted into the country was less, there was an increase in the number of citizens entering through economic and unification category. This is the category that Indians mostly utilise to enter the country.

John McCallum, the Refugees and Citizenship Minister, agreed that international students are talented and are considered the most promising group of immigrants. This was mainly because they knew a lot about Canada and were able to communicate in English or French. The students are also young and ambitious. He admitted that students were being treated harshly due to the stringent laws and hostile policies. These practices made it difficult for them to become Canadian citizens. He was quoted saying that international students would be given more points under express entry process which would make it easier for them to become permanent residents of Canada. He also promised that the government would make an announcement in this regard at the earliest.

Education Policy

According to a survey conducted in 2013 by Statistics Canada, it was found that the most popular fields of study for students from India were Engineering and Architecture at 37%, Public Administration and Business Management at 22%, Computer Science and Mathematics at 12%, Life Sciences and Technology at 11%.

In 2014, when Canada had released its new education policy, it had considered India as a priority country. This was done because the Universities in Canada recognised the abilities of emerging countries such as Brazil, China, and India. They wanted to ensure that they were committed to the globalisation of their universities through international education, international faculty and student movement, international research collaborations, and other programs.

Why Canada?

There are other reasons that make Canada a dream destination. The three most popular Canadian cities – Calgary, Toronto, and Vancouver were ranked in the top five most liveable cities in the world. This was a survey conducted by The Economist in 2015. Montreal secured the 14th place in a similar list. If you’re willing to put in the hard work, you can easily prosper in Canada.