What’s the big deal about studying in Canada? You can study from anywhere and always get a job followed by a work permit in Canada, right? If Canada has so many programs and streams for permanent residence for skilled workers, why should Canada be your preferred foreign study destination?

If you are a young student exploring your foreign study options, then you probably will be curious why immigration experts emphasize on benefits of Canadian study experience for easy permanent residence in the country.

Study Anywhere and Still Work and Settle in Canada

Don’t want to study in Canada? No problem.

You can still get a job in Canada and qualify for a work permit or even direct permanent residence. Your options include Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker program or any PNP stream where Canadian experience is not mandatory.

But studying in Canada just gives you a fantastic advantage over all other skilled workers. Simply put, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by opting for a Canadian degree.

Also Read

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• Community Immigration Pilot Programs—an Important Factor Impacting your Decision to Study in Canada
• Foreign Student’s Study-Work-Settle Route in Canada

 Quality Education and a Lot More

As a student, your top priority should be quality education, and Canada surely ticks this box. The quality of education offered by Canadian universities is at par with the best and at very affordable fees too.

Greater Toronto Area’s tech hub offers excellent internship opportunities for tech students. Canada aspires to become one of the top-three global bioscience hubs by 2025 and British Columbia is a great destination for students specializing in related fields.

Alberta’s oil sands is the obvious destination for petroleum engineers and geologists while marine science graduates can explore commercial fishing industries in the four Atlantic provinces.

Fantastic Future Prospects

 The total number of foreign students in Canada saw a close to five-fold increase between 2000 and 2019. Obviously, this is the best proof that Canada’s popularity as a foreign study destination is not a fluke.

Further, 30 percent of all foreign students entering Canada after 2000 became permanent residents within ten years of receiving their study permit. Presuming a four-year course, this means a third of all foreign students transitioned from international graduates to Canadian permanent residents in just six years.

Considering that waiting time for the US green card for skilled workers ranges from 30 to 150 years, is it not obvious why Canada’s so popular among foreign students?

Advanced Degrees for Faster Career and Immigration Progress

 Half of all Master’s degree students qualified for Canadian PR within ten years of first receiving their study permit. This figure is even higher—60 percent—for Ph.D. degree students.

Also, likelihood to qualify for PR increased (by 60 percent) if you worked as a student. This is not surprising, is it? Working as a student helps professors notice you, brings you in contact with potential employers, and gives you a good idea of your strengths and weaknesses.

Actionable Points for You

 So, what are the actionable points from these numbers?

Study, work, and then immigrate—this may be the rule in other countries. But Canada is different. Canada wants foreign skilled workers and wants them early by getting them to study from a Canadian institution.

So, the first takeaway is that you should have a clear study and work/immigration strategy when taking admission in a Canadian university.

The path to Canadian PR becomes easier, faster, and clearer as you study more. Whether a Ph.D. degree adds value to your CV depends on your field of study. But it’s safe to say that you should plan for at least a Master’s degree in Canada.

The second takeaways is pretty straightforward—advanced degree is a minimum.

Thirdly, absolutely no sense in not working when studying in Canada. Gaining one year work experience over your study course will make you eligible for the FSWP as well as PNP streams. On-ground experience can help you assess your International Graduate Entrepreneur options as well.

Finally, your Canadian study plan is never just about studies. It’s about study, work, and immigration planning, which means you definitely need an immigration professional to guide you.

Contact different professionals and choose one who offers immigration guidance along with job-search assistance and other allied services. The right plan will mean admission in a Canadian university is a golden ticket to a great future for you.