Canada welcomes record 226,450 Indian students in 2022
Darpan News Desk IANS, 21 Feb, 2023 11:30 AM
Toronto, Feb 21 (IANS) With 226,450 students, India has become the top source of new international students entering Canada in 2022, according to data released by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The North American nation set an immigration record by welcoming 551,405 international students from 184 countries in 2022.
India was closely followed by China and the Philippines with 52,165 and 23,380 students, respectively.
In 2021, a total of 444,260 new study permits took effect, an increase from the 400,600 in 2019.
In 2019, there were 637,860 international students in Canada -- a number which decreased in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and rebounded in 2021 to a total 617,315.
India was also among the top 10 source countries of international students already living and studying in Canada as of December 31, 2022, with 319,130 students.
According to IRCC, most new study permits are now being processed within the 60-day service standard in Canada.
The country, which processed an all-time high of 4.8 million visa applications in 2022, remains a top destination for Indian students due to the standard of education, lower costs, obtaining work, and immigration opportunities post-graduation.
Foreign students contribute more than $15.3 billion annually to the economy, according to the Canadian government.
Each year tens of thousands of graduates who chose to immigrate permanently to the country become a source of young, educated workers.
According to Statistics Canada, international students who get permanent residence tend to integrate quickly into the Canadian labour market due to their previous experience of living in the country on visas.
Premier David Eby says economists are predicating a "global slowdown and potentially recession" and his government is focused on keeping the economy strong by building trade relationships and supporting businesses.
Association chief economist Brendon Ogmundson blames expected sluggish sales this year on a slowing economy and ongoing, elevated mortgage rates. The forecast predicts residential sales in B-C will skid 7.1 per cent this year before surging nearly 24 per cent in 2024.
The survivor has life-threatening injuries, but police say the public is not believed to be at risk. IHIT is trying to determine if the tripped alarm and triggered sprinklers could be linked to the case.
IHIT investigators have identified the victim as a 17-year old man, who lived in the complex in which the shooting took place. At approximately 9:15 a.m. a White Nissan Rogue was reported to have been set on fire in the area of 173 Street and 101 Avenue in Surrey.
On Wednesday, Surrey RCMP received a report that a man was masturbating in the pathway behind a townhouse complex located in the 6400-block of 168 Street. The man jumped a fence entering the backyard of one of the units, and then used a flashlight to capture the attention of the residents before shining the light on his exposed genitalia.
Upon police arrival, officers located a body of a man. During the search of the home, police also found a drug lab. Early indications suggest that this incident is targeted, and the public is not at risk.
