International Students: Trends,

Policies, Challenges
Chedly Belkhodja and Sinziana Chira
Universit de Moncton-Dalhousie University
IRPP
Ottawa, April 30 2012
A New Paradigm of International
Immigration
Migration and international mobility: hyper competition for highly
skilled migrants in a globalized environment (Withol de Wenden,
2008 Castles, 2007; Ley, 2010, Vertovec, 2007)
Marketing and policy changes
Immigration, devolution and regionalisation in a context of
redefinition of the role of a federal state: provinces, municipalities
and civil society are more involved in the issue of immigration
(Alboim, 2010, Carter, 2010; Seidle, 2010)
The changing role of universities: from managing diversity on
campuses (Alboim and Cohl, 2007) to a stepping-stone to
immigration (Suter and Jandl, 2008, Hawthorne, 2010, Walton-
Roberts, 2011).
Settelment and integration of new categories of immigrants and
role of the welcoming community (Biles, Burstein and Frideries,
2008).

International Students and Immigration:
The Ideal Link
I.S answer demographical stakes: low population growth
and the aging of population in developed countries.
I.S increase economic performances of developed
countries: human capital for knowledge based economies.
I.S integrate more easily the labour market : recognised
diplomaes, work experience on and outside campuses,
cultural integration, language skills.
I.S. are becoming an added international cultural value
to the welcoming community : campus, cities, regions.
$$$: differential tuition fees
Belkhodja, 2011
Primary Global Destinations for
International Students: 2000 vs 2009

Major players : United States, United Kingdom and Australia
Middle powers : Germany and France
Evolving destinations : Japan, Canada and New Zealand
Emerging contenders : China, Singapore and Malaysia
Countries of transition: ex: Tunisia, Switzerland

The Four Categories of Education
Suppliers
Source: Hawthorne, 2010
Increasing numbers
Annual entries increasing in
recent years
98 378 international students
entered in Canada in 2011
Total number of students
residing in Canada also
increasing
239 131 students residing in
Canada (as of December 1,
2011)


Source: Catrina Tapley, CIC, 2010.
International Students in Canada
Opening the system for
International Students
On campus work experience
2006: the right to work off campus during
studies: 20 hours a week during school and
full time on off semesters.
2008: post-graduation work permits no longer
require a job offer, no geographical restriction,
work in a field unrelated to their education,
up to three years
Fast tracking international students: The 2-
step system
Canadian Experience Class
quick access to Canadian permanent residence
allow certain highly skilled temporary workers and foreign students, already living in
Canda to remain in Canada while they apply for permanent residence without having to
file their applications abroad
Provincial Nominee Programs
Such programs are designed to allow provincial and territorial governments that have
agreements with the federal government to nominate the number and types of
immigrants which are specified in such bilateral agreement
International Graduate Stream: NFLD, NS, ONT, MAN, SASK, ALB, BC,
QC, PEI
International PhD Stream
2011 addition to the Federal Skilled Worker Program, making PhDs past their 2nd year
eligible to become PRs

CEC and International Graduates
Launched in 2008
Conditions
Enrolled for at least two years full time
At least one year of full time skilled work
experience in Canada after graduation (work
experience under the permit must be at Skill Type
0, or Skill Level A or B under the National
Occupational Classification)
Skills: the trial run model to retain high
skillstime and flexibility (Sweetman, 2011)
CEC and International Graduates
Approval Rate for student stream : 86 % (Lowe, 2011)
Depuis la mise en uvre, plus de 3 400 visas ont t dlivrs dans le volet
des travailleurs trangers temporaires et plus de 3 300 dans le volet des
diplms.
Visas de la CEC dlivrs en 2010 :
2 185 dans le volet des travailleurs trangers temporaires
1 750 dans le volet des diplms (CIC)

of the 1372 students landing in Canada under the Canadian
Experience Class Program in 2009, only 28 landed in Atlantic
Canada, while 927 landed in Ontario, 218 in BC and 179 in
Alberta (van Huystee, CIC, 2011)

International Students in Canada becoming PR by family status
and immigration class
CIC, Faits et chiffres, 2011
Table from van Huystee (2011), p. 19.
International Students in Canada becoming PR by family status
and immigration class in Atlantic Canada
International Students in Canada becoming PR by immigration
class in Canada and the Atlantic region (principal applicants only)
Category 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Family class 1,720 1,273 1,395 1,892 2,123 1,887 2,012 1,985 1,747
Family class Atlantic 25 22 35 45 55 51 47 64 50
Skilled Workers
national
2,124 2,046 1,980 2,691 2,832 4,230 4,324 4,015 2,861
SW Atlantic 64 65 44 69 72 111 109 123 73
CEC National 1372
CEC Atlantic 28
PNP National 5 5 25 63 55 122 102 134 149
PNP Atlantic 3 0 4 7 11 12 16 21 16
Total Economic
immigrants national
2,157 2,067 2,022 2,780 2,914 4,380 4,450 4,178 3,127
Total Economic
immigrants Atlantic
69 65 48 76 83 123 125 144 89
From post-grad
worker national
411
(3 %)
315
(3 %)
329
(4 %)
438
(4 %)
531
(4 %)
1,012
(6 %)
1,313
(7 %)
1,914
(7 %)
3,522
(12 %)
From post-grad
worker national
Atlantic
16
(5.2%)
11
(4.6%)
13
(6 %)
20
(5.4%)
31
(8.5%)
101
(15.3%)
144
(20.9%)
157
(16.6%)
161
(17.1%)
ACOA Research on International
Graduates
Identify and describe current policy initiatives
and practices in Atlantic Canada designed to
attract and integrate international students
and graduates into localized labour markets
Review labor market integration issues and
highlight localized needs
Highlight localized and regional best practices
as well as policy and practice gaps.
The Number of International Students is Increasing in Atlantic Universities
Universities
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Memorial 416 528 626 719 832 925 899 1086 1194 1329
Acadia 558 669 652 692 610 515 438 400 379 383
A.S.T - 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1
Dalhousie 955 1130 1199 1116 1076 1055 1034 1219 1613 1901
Mt. St. Vincent 72 116 145 127 139 177 218 256 322 369
N.S. Agricultural 16 16 27 21 44 53 78 119 185 193
N.S.C.A.D. 49 45 52 64 58 55 63 74 69 90
Saint Marys 538 697 770 921 934 1006 1078 1325 1465 1636
St. Francis Xavier 201 230 223 191 214 200 223 233 235 241
U College of C.B. 70 129 184 208 227 466 690 319 405 688
U of Kings College 19 32 40 39 37 35 29 38 44 48
U of Saint Anne 14 12 19 16 25 27 37 58 41 42
Mount Allison 138 144 135 148 160 154 155 190 216 219
St. Thomas 68 92 122 136 128 125 112 77 71 80
U de Moncton 227 254 278 284 333 405 449 551 580 611
U.N.B. 1044 1391 1438 1387 1159 988 909 990 1170 1346
U.P.E.I. 167 164 208 230 266 277 354 452 518 515
Total-Atlantic 4552 5650 6119 6301 6243 6464 6767 7388 7294 8363
Source : Association of Atlantic Universities, 2011
The Case of a Small University
1. Attracting Foreign
Students
2. Integrating Foreign
Students
3. Retaining Foreign
Graduates
Cultural
integration
Economic
integration
Universities and Communities
Disconnected
Connected
Challenges
Roles of post-secondary institutions:
attraction and retention of talent
Funding of post-secondary support services
Settlement needs of international students
are becoming an increasingly important public
policy issue
Bringing the employer in
Some Initiatives
Entrepreneurship Training Program for International Graduate
Students at Memorial University of Newfoundland
Volunteering as a way of connecting and gaining Canadian
experience
Farmers Market , Saint Johns, NFLD
Mentoring programs linking int. students with members of the
business and professional community
Halifax Connector Program started by the Greater Halifax Partnership
in 2010- now replicated across the Atlantic and beyond (Quebec)
Instauration dune approche concerte pour lintgration des
tudiantes et tudiants trangers francophones dans leur nouveau
milieu daccueil : Community College of Dieppe-Universit de
Moncton and Chamber of Commerce of Greater Moncton


Immigration, skills and Nation
Building
New immigrants capable of participating in the
economic, social and political/civic life

Support for settlement: Ongoing and significant
emphasis to provide services for supporting immigrant
settlement and integration (e.g., language training,
information and orientation, social engagement,
initiatives to facilitate integration into the labour
market).
Welcoming Communities : Giving tools to communities
in order to be more welcoming to new immigrants
(awareness programs, intercultural dialogue, etc).