Good morning.
Good afternoon, Mr. Chair, honourable members of the committee, and witnesses.
I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people, where we have the privilege of gathering today.
My name is Adam Brown and I am the chair of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, or CASA. I'm also the vice-president external of the University of Alberta Students' Union, and a fourth-year student completing a business degree in business economics and law.
CASA is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization that represents roughly 350,000 students at colleges, universities and polytechnics across the country. Through a formal partnership with the Quebec Student Union, we are a trusted and truly national student voice. We advocate for a post-secondary system that is accessible, affordable, innovative and of the highest quality.
I would like to thank the committee for inviting CASA to participate in this important study on migration challenges and opportunities for Canada in the 21st century.
We live in a globalized world that is becoming ever more interdependent, interconnected and complex. Canada must ensure that its workforce is highly educated and equipped with the skills and experiences necessary to contribute to and succeed in today's global realities. Diverse and cosmopolitan post-secondary experience enhanced by the presence of international students is instrumental in preparing Canada's students to work in an increasingly global community. International students also become prospective ambassadors who serve as a voice for Canada abroad, sharing Canadian interests, values and culture, while strengthening international collaboration in higher education, research, trade and diplomacy.
In addition to the cultural diversity and opportunities for global interconnectedness, international students also help to drive Canada's economic growth. They bring about $15 billion to Canada's economy annually, which helps to create around 170,000 Canadian jobs. International students who decide to stay in Canada after their studies are also essential in addressing the ongoing and increasingly imperative issue of skilled-worker shortages in Canada.
While the opportunity that international students present for Canada's cultural and economic prosperity is great, we have identified many administrative and regulatory barriers that prevent them from easily accessing work opportunities or navigating the immigration system. As a consequence, it becomes harder for international students to stay in Canada after their studies.
With work-integrated learning opportunities becoming an integral part of a quality post-secondary education, international students should have equal access to these experiences. Unfortunately, as it stands, international students must apply for an additional work permit on top of their study permit should they decide during their studies that they would like to pursue a co-op internship, apprenticeship or other work-integrated learning opportunity. This additional permit can take up to six months to get, which prevents many bright and talented international students from partaking in work-integrated learning opportunities that come up often on very short notice during the course of their studies. In order to leverage the valuable opportunity that international students bring to growing our skilled labour force, it is vital that they have access to work opportunities that allow them to build networks in Canada and transition into the workforce after their studies. CASA therefore recommends that the federal government modify the study permit to allow international students to participate in full-time, work-integrated learning placements during their post-secondary studies.
Another barrier that hinders international students transitioning to employment following their studies is the short-term period allotted to secure employment and apply for a work permit. Currently, international students have just 90 days after graduation to find a job and apply for a work permit. This tight time frame is not reflective of the current workforce realities, or of the fact that many other life challenges occur post-graduation. In Canada it takes an average of nearly five months to find a job after graduation. While international students can apply for post-secondary work visas, this is yet another bureaucratic burden imposed on international students that could be easily avoided by modifying the work permit. Since the Government of Canada has identified international students as a key demographic for responding to the shortage of skilled labour in Canada, this government should remove unnecessary barriers that make it difficult for international students to stay in Canada after their studies. CASA recommends that the Government of Canada extend the post-graduate job-search period from 90 days to six months to better reflect the average time it takes to find a job after school, helping to keep international students in Canada.
Additionally, international students must deal with the immigration system prior to arriving in Canada and throughout their studies. Each of these steps can be complex, especially for those operating in their second or third language. With this in mind, institutions should provide a welcoming atmosphere with accessible services to set international students up for success in Canada.
However, the regulatory change brought forward in section 91 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in 2011 has inadvertently limited on-campus access for students to immigration information. Post-secondary staff must now obtain a special certificate, which requires 300 hours of training in the busiest months of the school year at an estimated cost of $2,600.
Not all institutions can afford this commitment of both time and resources. I'll give you an example. Red River College in Manitoba has 1,500 international students, nine campuses, and only one certified international student adviser to serve all of them. As you can imagine, this leaves many international students without any access to on-campus immigration information.
Currently, other organizations, including religious and non-governmental organizations that do not charge a fee for this service, are exempt from requiring the additional certification. Post-secondary institutions do not charge a separate fee for this service either, and they believe it is logical that they should also fall under this exemption.
Therefore, CASA recommends that the federal government exempt post-secondary staff from the requirements established in section 91 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
I would like to thank the committee, once again, for having given us the opportunity to present the issues international students face, as well as the opportunities we are given. I hope that we can continue to work together to make Canada one of the best post-secondary education destinations for students the world over.