‘Worried about future’: Indian students in Canada strive amid ‘huge dearth of jobs’

Indian students in Canada are facing a major problem that is lack of job opportunities amid India-Canada strained relations in the wake of accusations by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau against India.

According to data, India was the top source country of new international students entering the North American nation in the year 2022. A total of 226,450 Indian students arrived in Canada to pursue higher education.

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Erudera's data also shows that there are a total of 807,750 international students in Canada across all education levels, including higher education. Out of these, 551,405 students received study permits in Canada in 2022. India has the most study permit holders in 2022 in Canada with 226,450 students as per Erudera data.

“I am not thinking about the India-Canada rift so much. I am more worried and concerned about my future. There is a huge dearth of jobs here, and I don’t know whether I will be able to secure work once I complete my studies,” said an Indian student, reported PTI.

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Another student who is pursuing a course in health services at an institute in the Greater Toronto area said that he is worried about finding work once he finishes his studies in Toronto though neither he nor his friends encountered any challenges due to the diplomatic tensions between Delhi and Ottawa

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He added, “I know of several Indian students with medical degrees here who have been unable to find decent-paying jobs and are driving cabs and working in stores, and restaurants to pay bills. It is a very challenging situation for us,” reported PTI. 

“Our parents have spent a lot to send us to Canada to study… We had hoped to find good jobs that sustain us and also enable us to take care of our families in India. We are not able to do that,” he said.

An Indian student from Haryana said, “We had come with the hope that once we complete our education here, we will be able to secure well-paying jobs and help our parents and families back home in India. But there are no jobs; the cost of living, healthcare is back-breaking and we are struggling to make ends meet,” reported PTI. 

There were around 320,000 Indian students with active study permits at the end of December 2022 that is a steep jump of 47% as compared to 2021 figures, according to ICEF Monitor. ICEF is a market intelligence resource for the global education industry.

ICEF Monitor stated, “Indian students accounted for nearly four out of every ten foreign students in Canada as of the end of 2022.” 

“Parents have had to sell properties, land, take massive loans to pay for the higher education of their children in Canada,” one student told PTI.

India students in Canda expressed their worries and anxiousness over their future career prospects as their families and parents in India endured several hardships to send them for higher studies abroad.

(With inputs from PTI)