Citizenship and Immigration Committee on June 7th, 2017

[Peter Halpin, Executive Director, Association of Atlantic Universities]

Thank you.

Good afternoon, and thank you for inviting me to appear before the committee on a subject so important to the future of Atlantic Canada—the successful attraction and retention of new Canadians to our region.

I'm Peter Halpin, executive director of the Association of Atlantic Universities, the AAU. The AAU is an advocacy organization working on behalf of the presidents and students of the 16 universities in our region. Today I will share some data on the attraction and enrolment of international students, their social and cultural impact on our campuses, their regional economic impact, and their interest in staying in the region following graduation, which I think is very relevant to today's discussion. I will also address what universities are doing to position Atlantic Canada as an attractive education destination in the world, as well as our collective efforts to help improve receptivity toward hiring recent international student graduates.

Over the past 10 years, the enrolment of international students in our universities has increased by more than 100%. Today there are more than 13,000 international students studying at Atlantic Canadian universities. These students represent nearly 20% of total full-time university enrolment in Atlantic Canada. As the region's domestic population continues its steady decline, the value of international students to institutional sustainability grows in importance. Atlantic Canada's universities are talent magnets and the best source of new immigrants to the region. Our universities are working harder than ever on marketing the region and our institutions to international students as a welcoming education destination in the world.

With the assistance of ACOA's international business development program, the AAU has led an international student digital marketing research study on behalf of the region's post-secondary education sector. The results of that study will equip our universities and colleges with actionable information about key international target markets and their cultural nuances, who to target within those markets, and when, where, and how to engage student prospects. Currently over 150 countries are represented on our campuses. That cultural and ethnic mix has a profoundly positive impact on the educational and social experience of the entire university community. By way of example, Saint Mary's University in Halifax is considered the most international university in Canada, with visa students representing close to 35% of the total student body. Having more than 13,000 international students in the region also has a significant economic impact. In 2009-10 international students generated $565 million of economic activity across the region. The Council of Atlantic Ministers of Education and Training, CAMET, is currently updating that study, with results expected this fall.

In 2016 the AAU conducted a graduate retention study among our graduating university and community college students across the region. That research produced an astonishing result: 75% of those international students who participated in the research indicated they would remain in their province of study following graduation if given the opportunity to do so. That's 75%. In order of importance, those students rated quality of life in Atlantic Canada most highly, closely followed by job opportunities, as the major factors that would encourage them to stay. With the generous support of ACOA and its Atlantic policy research initiative program, the AAU is now doing a follow-up study with those international students who responded to the 2016 study to determine what has happened in their lives one year following graduation. We expect those results at the end of June.

Our university leaders believe that we have an important role to play in attracting more international students to the region. We are also committed to working collaboratively with governments, the private sector, and others to help retain those students—the future professionals, entrepreneurs, and citizens we so badly need to populate our region.

On July 10, the AAU will host the Atlantic leaders' summit in Halifax. It will bring together academic, business, community, student, government, and political leaders to examine the barriers affecting retention of international student graduates in Atlantic Canada. The summit features the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, as keynote speaker. The minister will address the Atlantic immigration pilot project, as well as the immigration pillar of the Atlantic growth strategy.

In summary, the AAU is committed to inter-institutional collaboration to better position Atlantic Canada and our universities as a education destination in the world. We are also working collaboratively with other key players to retain as many of our international student graduates as possible in communities right across the region.

Again, thank you very much for your invitation to appear before the committee today. I look forward to your questions and the discussion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Borys Wrzesnewskyj]

Thank you, Mr. Halpin.

Ms. Descalzi, the floor is yours for seven minutes, please.

[Sofia Descalzi, Chairperson, Canadian Federation of Students (Newfoundland and Labrador)]

Thank you.

Thank you for the invitation here today. I am the chairperson-elect of the Canadian Federation of Students in Newfoundland and Labrador. Our federation represents over 600,000 post-secondary students across Canada on 80 different campuses, including all post-secondary students in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Private member's motion 39 asks you to investigate the issue of immigration to Atlantic Canada. It asks you to consider, among other things, the challenges of retaining new immigrants and possible recommendations on how to increase immigration to Atlantic Canada. Research tells us that Atlantic Canada needs more immigrants, and international students are an ideal audience for new citizens. For that to happen, however, we must end discriminatory practices at the federal and provincial levels. At the federal level, we need more certainty for existing pathways to Canadian citizenship. At the provincial level, we must end discriminatory practices in overseas recruitment, tuition fees, public health care coverage, and employment standards. If we treat international students with respect, and not as cash cows for budget cuts, they can help Atlantic Canada meet the challenges of our aging society.

I speak as an international student. I am from Ecuador, and I recently graduated with a major in psychology and a minor in French from Memorial University at the Grenfell Campus. I wanted to come to Canada for numerous reasons. There was political unrest in my country, where universities are mostly privatized. As well, employers tend to hire people with degrees from universities outside the country.

But I had no opportunity to study abroad. My mother was widowed when I was 11 years old, and we struggled economically. Then a recruiter from Memorial University came to my high school and told me about Memorial's theatre program and its tuition freeze for all students. When I was offered a scholarship from Memorial University covering my first year's tuition, I headed north.

I didn't realize that my years here would be filled with anxiety and fear. For example, it wasn't until I arrived at Grenfell Campus that I was told I could not minor in theatre. This was despite communication beforehand, numerous times, with my academic adviser. It was not an auspicious beginning to my time here in Canada.

Starting in 2014 I had long conversations with my mother about whether I could continue my studies. The tuition freeze for international students was threatened. No Ecuadorian university would have accepted my credits due to the difference in language, so if the tuition had increased, it would have meant two years down the drain for me.

Memorial University's new ancillary fees are driving international students away, because many of us simply cannot afford an extra $600 per year. Immigration rules dictate that we can only work part time, so we can't even take on another job to try to compensate. Meanwhile, we are the ones who use the campus food bank the most. We are already struggling to get by and can't eat proper meals today, let alone when these new fees come into effect.

Memorial University's tuition fee hikes scheduled for 2021 are also driving prospective students away. I know this from my own family. I have cousins who wanted to come to Memorial University but can't afford the added costs. They cannot apply for government loans from either country if they choose to come to Canada. They will therefore have to remain in Ecuador in order to avail themselves of that option. Private loans aren't great either, since interest rates are so high. Now my cousins are considering going to other countries, such as Germany, or staying in Ecuador.

Moreover, nobody told me that in Corner Brook the transit system doesn't circulate on weekends or evenings, the only times I could buy my groceries. The recruiter didn't tell me that I couldn't find a job off campus until I stopped telling people I was from Ecuador, or that many employers wouldn't even hire me because my accent was too thick.

My summers were full of anguish too. Even though I am grateful to live in one of the provinces that provide health care to international students, I always feared summer term, when spring term courses were over and my medical care plan expired. There were no useful courses for my degree being offered at that time, so I couldn't renew my medical care because I was not enrolled in any course, and I could not go back to Ecuador because I could not afford it. I was trapped, working to save money for next semester while hoping nothing would happen to me while I was not medically insured.

Despite the obstacles, I have made my life in the province and I want to stay, but I also know that it is incredibly difficult to immigrate to Newfoundland and Labrador, given the current conditions.

Members of the committee, that's just my story, but I am not alone. Hundreds of thousands of international students have these problems on a daily basis and those problems must end, if we want them to stay and help build our communities. I am honoured to have been chosen by my colleagues to be a public voice for the renewal of our post-secondary sector, and we do have ideas to ensure that international students are treated with respect.

Thanks again for the invitation here. I look forward to answering any questions you may have.

[The Chair, Liberal, Borys Wrzesnewskyj]

Thank you, Ms. Descalzi.

Ms. Clark, the floor is yours for seven minutes.

[Technical difficulty—Editor]

We cannot hear the witness on the video conference. We'll return to Ms. Clark when those are resolved and we'll begin with a round of questions.

We'll begin with Mr. O'Regan. You have five minutes, please.

[Seamus O'Regan, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

First of all, Ms. Clark, because I know you can hear me, I apologize greatly that we are going to miss your verbal contribution. I'm only a guest here on the committee, but I'm sure this committee of good-hearted individuals will ensure that your input is given at some point.

Ms. Descalzi, maybe I'll begin with you and welcome you here in front of this committee.

You spoke of some of the difficulties you had as an international student at university and some of the things that were wanting in terms of your welcome and your being able to express yourself at your full abilities. Tell me about your experience now, as an immigrant. We've already heard from former Premier McKenna, and from Ms. Lockhart before you, and all the members of Parliament from Atlantic Canada, who desperately want to have more of you in Atlantic Canada, and I think most Canadians do as well.

That was certainly the expression given by the House of Commons, which unanimously supported the strategy. How do we draw more Sofias and how do we retain them? In other words, how do we make life easier for you, so that you choose to stay in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador?

[Sofia Descalzi]

Thank you for the question.

One of the things that I have mentioned is making a smoother transition from being an international student to a permanent resident. I am actually going through the application processes now.

For example, there are requirements for bank statements showing $2,000 in our bank accounts. As an international student, I don't have $2,000 in my bank account, so how am I going to check that box, let's say? There is also the uncertainty about which program to go through.

There are diverse options and there's not a lot of guidance as to how we have to approach that process. It just seems that international students try to do everything right. You know, we come here, we know the language, and we still have to go through a cumbersome process to attain our permanent residency. Those application processes need to be revised.

In terms of staying in Atlantic Canada, we need to make sure that there are job options for new immigrants. We need to start building a culture that is not afraid of someone who is not from here and that we don't discriminate based on someone's accent, or the colour of their skin, or their background.

[Seamus O'Regan, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

Newfoundlanders should hardly be the people to comment on your accent. I apologize for that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Borys Wrzesnewskyj]

Mr. O'Regan, it appears that Ms. Clark may be on line now and I think you might have a question for her, so let me just test this first.

Ms. Clark, could you say a few words to us?

[Natasha Clark, International Student Advisor, Memorial University of Newfoundland]

Good afternoon.

[The Chair, Liberal, Borys Wrzesnewskyj]

Thank you.

I had stopped the clock, so I will restart the clock when you're ready, Mr. O'Regan.

[Seamus O'Regan, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

Does Ms. Clark get any time to make a statement?

[The Chair, Liberal, Borys Wrzesnewskyj]

She does have seven minutes. We can either have the statement right now and resume with your round of questions—

[Seamus O'Regan, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

I defer to you, Mr. Chair. What's the normal protocol?

[The Chair, Liberal, Borys Wrzesnewskyj]

I think it might be helpful in moulding some of the questions you might have.

[Seamus O'Regan, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Borys Wrzesnewskyj]

Ms. Clark, the floor is yours for seven minutes.

[Natasha Clark]

Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. Thank you for having me here.

I've worked as an international student adviser at Memorial University of Newfoundland since 2005. In that time, Memorial has seen a significant increase in its international student population. In my years as an international student adviser, I've seen many students come and go. Some stay, and most wish to stay. I've experienced the many changes within the Canadian immigration system, some that make this dream a reality, and some that create barriers.

To provide some background and context, Memorial University is the only university in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The university was established as a memorial to the Newfoundlanders who lost their lives during the First and Second World Wars.

Memorial is a multi-campus, multidisciplinary, public, and teaching/research university. Memorial has more than 18,500 students, 5,200 faculty and staff spread across four campuses, and nearly 85,000 alumni. As the only university in Newfoundland, Memorial has a special obligation to the people of the province, while at the same time it strives to be a globally distinguished university and inclusive of students and scholars from all over the world.

Memorial has 2,500 international students from over 80 countries. The international student population at Memorial forms approximately 13% of the student population and is growing.

In my role as an international student adviser, I provide advice to international students on any aspect of their adaptation to the new country, culture, and legal system, with particular emphasis on immigration law. As a regulated Canadian immigration consultant, I field many questions from students about pathways to permanent residency.

The Canadian Bureau for International Education conducts regular surveys of the international student population in Canada. In their most recent survey, they cite that 51% of international students plan to apply for permanent residency. I experience this statistic daily in my work with international students. More than half of all my meetings with students on immigration issues involve questions about remaining in Canada after graduation and eligibility for permanent residency.

I meet many students who qualify for the federal skilled worker program or Canadian experience class but do not score competitively on the comprehensive ranking system. I also encounter many students who wish to apply through the provincial nominee program but face challenges in securing skilled employment in their fields to qualify them for the program.

Fortunately, our office benefits from a good working relationship with the provincial government's Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism. The provincial government has identified international students as a desired pool of immigrants to the province and has a designated staff person who connects with students interested in staying here. This is an invaluable resource, as it provides a point of contact for international students early on in their journey to permanent residency in order to provide them with labour market and immigration advice.

Still, there are challenges. The provincial government has addressed many of these in their immigration action plan going forward. International students formed a large part of the immigration strategy launched in 2008 and form a focus in the recently released Way Forward document on immigration in Newfoundland and Labrador, a five-year action plan released in 2017.

In this plan, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador commits to continue to work closely with post-secondary institutions in the province to develop a program to assist international students in obtaining work placements and to explore new PNP categories related to entrepreneurship. The five-year action plan is an ambitious one. The province aims to attract 1,700 immigrants by 2022. In 2014, the total number was 899. The Atlantic growth strategy, I believe, will go a long way to helping the province achieve this target.

In giving consideration to the questions which are before the committee in this study on immigration to Atlantic Canada, I wish to share these thoughts.

First, as it relates to the challenges associated with an aging population and shrinking population base, for post-secondary institutions this really means a shrinking pool of university applicants. I believe it's important to maintain a focus on international student recruitment and the creation of an educational brand for Atlantic Canada.

Second, as it relates to the retention of current residents and the challenges of retaining new immigrants, two major challenges facing international students are the lack of labour market opportunities and the challenges to entering the labour market, and the lack of pathways for international students to become permanent residents. Through the Canadian experience class, and even with new changes to the comprehensive ranking system, an international graduate with a bachelor's degree and one year of work experience in Canada does not necessarily score highly enough to be competitive in the express entry pool.

Third, in terms of possible recommendations on how to increase immigration to the region and address these challenges, I commend the Newfoundland government's plan to partner with employers to create placement opportunities for international students and to pilot a My First Newfoundland and Labrador Job program for international graduates.

I think it is important to focus on new pathways for permanent residency, particularly around entrepreneurship and low-skilled employment. I hear from many employers that they struggle to hire enough low-skilled employees. This this seems to be a real disconnect with the current immigration system, which really focuses on skilled migrants.

I encounter many international students who are very entrepreneurial in nature, and our institution has various programs to support them in this realm. However, it is very difficult for them to immigrate as entrepreneurs. There is no provincial category for them, and at the federal level there is, of course, the start-up visa program. But it's challenging in this province, as there is only one recognized incubator company that incubates tech companies.

Many of our students are looking to create small and medium-sized businesses, which would ultimately help the Newfoundland economy in creating jobs. There is little opportunity for them to immigrate.

I have known several students who have sold their equity and ownership and essentially become an employee with a company in order to qualify to immigrate as a federal skilled worker.

Of course, another reason why entrepreneurial categories are so important is that in the absence of being able to find employment, or in the face of an economic downturn or recession, many individuals turn to business start-ups as a livelihood.

Lastly, my analysis of the Atlantic immigration pilot initiatives associated with the Atlantic growth strategy is this. I do find that the opportunity provided by AIPP for low-skilled immigrants—

[The Chair, Liberal, Borys Wrzesnewskyj]

You have 20 seconds left.

[Natasha Clark]

—is great for international students, as many have entry-level positions in category C. It's hard to find skilled work when they first graduate. The no-work-experience requirement is wonderful, as many of them don't necessarily have a great deal of experience.

I thank you very much for your time and the opportunity to speak with the committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Borys Wrzesnewskyj]

Thank you, Ms. Clark.

Mr. O'Regan, you have two minutes, 15 seconds.

[Seamus O'Regan, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

Ms. Clark, if you were to make one other recommendation, what would it be? In your experience, when looking at the Atlantic growth strategy, the things we've done and the things we hope to do, what would be something that you think could alleviate some pressure and perhaps attract more immigrants and retain the ones whom you meet and see?

[Natasha Clark]

I would suggest that it would be attractive to look at an entrepreneurship stream. So within the Atlantic immigration pilot, rather than having a job offer through a designated employer, perhaps it could involve linking them with some business development company or corporation to help in assisting them to create a business. They're creating jobs as well in many cases.

[Seamus O'Regan, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

They're the ones who create the jobs.

Tell me, are there any misconceptions that you encounter from other people about the potential of immigrants in the province, or is that dissipating in your view?

[Natasha Clark]

Certainly, I think one challenge I spoke about was finding employment for many of our students. In particular, we have various co-operative education programs. It does pose a challenge for many international students to be competitive in those job markets. They come from high school and a culture where perhaps a lot of the focus was placed on studies and technical skills, and they're competing now with many Canadian students who have worked through high school and have volunteered and developed those skills.

I see that as a barrier. We have programs to help overcome that. We help to develop some of their professional skills and soft skills. There are often misconceptions among employers as well about what is needed to hire an international student. They're quite employable. Their study permit allows them to work. They can get a work permit upon graduation, so I think some knowledge around that area would be beneficial.

[The Chair, Liberal, Borys Wrzesnewskyj]

You have 20 seconds.