A decade ago, there were around 600,000 Indian students studying abroad. Now, in 2020-21, this figure has doubled to more than 1.2 million.

A look at the top study destinations for Indian students has the usual suspects along with a surprise at the top. The third-most-popular destination is the USA with around 2.12 million Indian students. Canada is second with 2.15 million students from India while the UAE is a surprising first with around 2.2 million students.

However, a closer look shows that UAE’s top rank is more due to the presence of a large number of Indian expats in the region. Many Indian students study in the UAE primarily because their parents are settled here in white and blue-collared positions.

If destinations were to be ranked solely on basis of the quality of education and post-study opportunities, then it’s very clear that the top foreign destination for Indian students in Canada.

Why Indians’ Choice Matters?

Considering that India has the largest population of young students in the world, a country that’s attracting a large number of Indian students would be the obvious destination for students from other countries too, right?

So, let’s take a look at some reasons why choosing Canada over the US as your study destination can be the best career decision of your life.

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Post-Study Work Opportunities

This parameter is more important than even the quality of education. Some US institutions may be more reputed than their Canadian counterparts. However, what’s the point of a fantastic degree if you are denied good work opportunities after you graduate?

Canada is an excellent destination for foreign students in terms of work and permanent residence options after graduation.

As a student, you can explore internship opportunities and gain valuable work experience even before you graduate. This means the FSWP route opens up immediately after graduation. If you don’t have enough points to qualify for an ITA, then you can use the Post-Graduation Work Permit to stay in Canada and find a good job.

Gain one-year of the Canadian experience and the CEC route opens up. If you are not keen on permanent residence, then switch to an LMIA-approved work permit and work in Canada for another three years before exploring PR options.

And then there are PNP streams for international graduates and international graduate entrepreneurs. If you have a great startup idea, then the Startup visa is an easy option if you can convince designated organizations to invest in your startup.

Transparent and Merit-Centric Immigration System

Work experience gained in course of your studies is not counted when assessing your eligibility for the Canada Experience Program. A NOC 0 or A job offer adds 200 points to your EE CRS score while a provincial nomination gives you a 600 point boost.

Community pilots can help you qualify for PR provided you study in an institution located in that community. The same is the case with the Atlantic Immigration pilot as well.

Canada’s transparent and merit-centric immigration system leaves very little scope for confusion. You can chart your study, post-graduation work prospects, and post-work PR prospects even before your start your study program.

Fantastic Professional Opportunities in the Biggest Sunrise Sectors

Joining a tech course? The Greater Toronto Area is the fastest-growing tech hub in North America. Exploring a career in fisheries and related processing industries? The Atlantic provinces have some very good colleges with excellent post-study work opportunities there.

Petroleum engineers should head to Alberta while anybody graduating from a course related to manufacturing or construction will be in demand throughout the country. Canada is a developed and diverse economy with excellent prospects in sunrise sectors like tech, biotech, and fintech to traditional engines of the economy like manufacturing and agriculture.

The best part is that Canada cannot do without skilled workers from abroad and all stakeholders including the Canadian government and Canadian employers know this. Unlike the US where even highly-skilled workers are struggling for work permits and green cards, Canada is a truly welcome place with a stable policy and scores of immigration programs and streams.

And the best part is that you are assured of a quality education that will help you compete with professionals from some of the best universities and colleges in the world. That’s why it makes sense to learn from the Indians and select Canada as your preferred study destination.