Why you should consider Canada as an alternative study destination

Beaver Immigration says there’s been an increase in inquiries for study in Canada from South African parents as the state of tertiary education in South Africa remains clouded.

Nicholas Avramis, Managing Director of Beaver Immigration, said the issues surrounding varsities’ ability to accommodate the placement of students in the Eastern Cape has spooked many parents.

He said while thousands of South African students travel abroad for their tertiary education each year, Canadian universities are proving particularly popular with a 31% increase in the number of Canadian study visa applications from South Africa since 2021.

“While youth unemployment in South Africa continues to push South African students to study abroad, there is a pull factor that also attracts foreign students to choose Canada as a new home.

“For example, the Government of Canada recently announced that foreign students in Canada who are on a valid study visa are now allowed to work an unlimited number of hours alongside their studies.

“This is a departure from the hard cap of 20 hours per week afforded to international students in other countries,” said Avramis.

Avramis revealed that the government implemented this policy change to help address Canada’s chronic national labour shortage.

The government hopes that foreign students can fill the gaps in the Canadian labour market.

He said that the accelerating number of South African students applying to Canadian colleges and universities was catching up to international trends.

“In 2022 the government processed 671,088 study visa applications and it is expected that in a few years, Canada will receive well over 1 million applications per year. Retaining international students after their graduation is a critical factor in Canada’s target of admitting 1.5 million new permanent residents by the end of 2025,” said Avramis.

He said that studying in Canada is not just about earning a degree, it’s an investment in the rest of your life.

“After finishing school, international students can apply for an open work permit for up to three years.

“After working in Canada for one year, foreign graduates can apply for permanent residency and, eventually, citizenship.

“A large part of Canada’s population growth strategy is to retain international students and their families,” said Avramis.