It seems that students who opt to study in Canada also plan on making a much greater commitment to the country once they graduate.  The findings of a recent study found that international students studying at Canadian universities plan to apply for Canadian Residency once they graduate.

This is great news for Canada as it means that they are able to retain the talent their educational system invested time and energy into and that this investment will be ploughed back, benefiting the Canadian community.

The survey, conducted by the Canadian Bureau of Statistics, showed that the majority of international students in Canada want permanent residency. In fact, says the Bureau, as much as 60 percent of the 14 228 international students who took part in the survey said they plan to remain in the country after graduation and pursue citizenship.

The survey participants will certainly have a lot to contribute with 35 percent of them studying a bachelor’s degree, 22 percent will have a Master’s degree and 17 percent are working on their doctoral.

“Almost half of the students indicated their intention to remain in Canada in order to obtain further education. Students who wished to remain in Canada to study were most likely to pursue further education in a different institution (25 percent) while 21 percent indicated they would remain at their current institution,” the report wrote.

“Over two-thirds (70 percent) of all students indicated their intention to find work in Canada following their studies.”

Canada’s Student Permit also allows you to legally work in Canada while studying! You will be allowed to work on campus as much as you like and off campus for 20 hours per week during semesters but full time in semester breaks.

Do you need a Study Permit? You will be exempt from this requirement if:

•             Your course is less than six months long

•             You are a minor children living in Canada with your parents who are not restricted from working or studying in Canada

•             You are a refugee or you are the child of refugee

•             You are a foreign diplomats or the child of one

•             You are a member of a foreign military organization that is in Canada for official purposes.

Some of the basic requirements for this visa:

•             As this visa is linked to your Temporary Residency Visa(TVR) you will have to qualify for a TVR before a Study Permit will be issued to you

•             You will have to provide proof that you can pay things like your tuition, accommodation, food, transport for at least one year of your stay.  Essentially this means that you must show proof that your tuition has been paid in full that you will have enough money to get you home after your tenure and you will have to have CAD 10,000 in your bank account.  Please consult your immigration consultant about the details.

•             Copies of your report card, high school diploma and any other relevant documents relating to your education

Source: Study International and New World Immigration