The federal government refuses more foreign students in Quebec

MONTREAL – The federal government is turning away many foreign students accepted by a Quebec university – doubting that these candidates will return to their country of origin at the end of their studies.

According to a report by l’Institut du Québec (IDQ) these decisions are inconsistent with the government’s objectives.

“We see that almost half of the candidates who are admitted by Quebec universities and who respect all the conditions of Quebec are still refused the study permit that would allow them to stay in the country,” says Emna Braham, executive director of the IDQ.

The refusal rate is particularly high for African candidates and they are more numerous to apply in Quebec. The federal government turned down nearly 72 per cent of African applicants accepted into a Quebec university in 2022.

The think tank asked Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) about the reasons for these refusals. The low probability of return to the country of origin was the main reason given.

These reasons are inconsistent with the federal and Quebec strategy, Braham said. “It is a criterion that no longer has a reason to exist, simply when the government of Quebec as well as the government of Canada are investing in promotion offensives to retain international students, especially in the regions.”

Indeed, international students are seen as prime candidates for immigration because they already have Canadian experience. “They’ve lived in Quebec, they’ve started to build a network, they have training that meets the requirements of Quebec employers.”

Nearly half (44 per cent) also work during their studies, an economic contribution that should not be overlooked in a context of labour scarcity, the report notes.

Governments would do well to clarify their goals for international education. “There is a real need to clarify the objectives and to put in place procedures that will ensure that the right hand talks to the left hand.”

IDQ also urges the university community to better communicate its targets for attracting international students. “That would allow for better planning of the issuance of permits, both at the federal government level and acceptance certificates at the Quebec government level,” adds IDQ economist Daye Diallo.

Montreal continues to attract the vast majority of international students. Only one in four students will choose to settle outside the city.

The English-language college and university system also maintains its power of attraction, recruiting 55 per cent of college students and 43 per cent of university students in 2019.

Braham, however, is opposed to the idea of establishing quotas to encourage enrolment in the French-language network. “We want to attract international students because they are the best candidates in the world, we want them in our universities, in our colleges and a large part of them will go back to their country afterwards. They are not going to have an impact either on immigration or on Quebec demographics.”

Quebec will be able to choose the candidates who best fit its immigration objectives afterwards. “So immigration that is going to be Francophone, that is going to be aligned with the needs of the labor market, etc. We’re not doing that by capping the number of English-speaking foreign students.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 18, 2023.