Canada’s Immigration Minister Marco Mendecino revealed two note-worthy updates on a webinar he attended which was hosted by the Canadian Immigration Council.
Firstly, Mendicino has stated that as many as 56000 international students have received their first stage study permits as of 22nd September 2020.
Secondly, He has confirmed that in order to welcome international students back to their campuses and ensure their safety amidst the looming danger of Covid-19, the Federal Government led by Health Canada are working tirelessly with the designated learning institutes (DLI’s) to lay out a definitive plan to protect the health and safety of students.
DLI’s are the institutes that have the federal and provincial government’s approval to enroll international students. Due to Canada’s travel restrictions, most students are not allowed to travel to the country however, there are a few DLI’s who have shown an interest in welcoming international students amidst the ongoing pandemic.
Mendicino also said that Minister Patty Hajdu is also continuously in contact with designated learning institutes to ensure that each of them is following the public health guidelines such as maintaining social distance and ensuring quarantine for all international students to prevent the spread of the virus.
As stated by recent Canadian travel law, International travelers must quarantine for 14 days as soon as they arrive in Canada. Keeping in check the recent significant increase in the number of Coronavirus cases in Canada, there are very strict social distancing measures and guidelines issued by the territories or provinces in order to flatten the curve and reduce the burden on the health care workers.
To prevent the education of international students from suffering due to the pandemic, there are several policy reforms done by the Government of Canada such as a two-step study permit process to ensure the students that they can begin their education while being overseas. Moreover, International students can continue their studies online while overseas and can still be eligible for a post-graduation work permit once the pandemic is over.
The 56000 students who have been approved for stage one study permit after submitting their offer letters from DLI’s and their proof of funds among other requirements have to complete a medical exam, criminal background check, and biometrics to get their stage two study permit.
Mendicino said that he believes that immigration will play a vital role in Canada’s economy and also tweeted on the popular social media platform Twitter that the International students enrich the Canadian culture and communities while contributing $22 Billion to Canada’s economy.
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