In a recent policy shift, Canada announced that it plans to put a cap on the number of immigrants it accepts, particularly those who come with the motive of studying and settling down in the country. This poses a big risk for the Indian diaspora who live there given that their residency in the country may be at risk when this policy comes into effect.
Why did the Canadian Government Cut Down on Visa Permits?
Immigrants contribute significantly to Canada’s total population. Around 20% of its total population consists of immigrants. Particularly Indian immigrants choose the path of studying in the college in this North American country, gaining a work permit and gaining permanent residency in the country. This path is not so easy to follow anymore given the new policy announced by the Canadian government.
Given the high number of immigrants that eventually settle down in the country, the government has the responsibility to look after them. The responsibility looks like providing employment and other benefits to the citizens which the government now has to bear. Canada is also facing an unemployment crisis, where a considerable amount of Canadian youth find themselves out of the workplace. The public there holds the sentiment that these jobs that were meant for the Canadian citizens are wrongfully taken by the immigrants. The increase in population density has also resulted in a housing crisis in Canada.
Taking all these reasons into account, the Canadian government decided it was best to reduce the amount of immigrants it accepts into the country.
What exactly is the New Policy?
The new immigration policy of Canada aims to significantly reduce the number of permanent residency nominations. The study permits and permanent residency nominations are said to go down by 25% when this policy is implemented. This is a cause of worry for international students who plan to work and reside there. In a recent announcement, the Canadian government said that it will deny work permits in areas where the unemployment rate is six percent or higher. Through this they will also reduce the number of temporary foreign workers taking up low-wage jobs.
Student Protests
Given the uncertainty of their future, many international students have taken to the streets expressing this discontentment with the new policy. The protests started in Prince Edward Island but have since moved to other provinces within the country. Many India-origin students have also risen in protest claiming that the grading system used against them is not fair. They have been marked unfairly, resulting in them flunking some classes. They claim this was done so that the university could extract extra money from them in the form of “re-examination fee”.
