More International Students are Choosing Canada

11/08/2014

Study permits issued to international students up by 26 percent since 2012

November 7, 2014 — Ottawa — Canada is on track to welcome a record number of foreign students this year, Canada’s Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Chris Alexander announced today.

103,999 study permits were issued from January to September this year, an 11-percent increase from the same period in 2013 (93,717) and a 26-percent increase for the same period in 2012 (84,207).

More than half of international students entering Canada in 2013 were citizens of the following five countries: the People’s Republic of China (29,414), India (13,758), South Korea (7,284), France (7,045) and the United States (4,847).

Quick facts

• In June 2014, Canada announced new regulations to strengthen Canada’s reputation as a study destination of choice and improve services to genuine students, while protecting Canada’s international reputation for high-quality education and reducing the potential for fraud and misuse of the program.
• In 2013, Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada launched a strategy to double the number of international students coming to Canada without displacing Canadian students by 2022. The department estimates that international students contribute more than $8 billion to the Canadian economy annually.

Quotes

“Our government is proud that Canada continues to be a study destination of choice for international students. International students generate an estimated $8 billion in economic activity in Canada each year and thousands will remain in Canada permanently, putting their education and experience to work and contributing to economic and job growth in Canada.”

Chris Alexander, Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister

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