Thank you, and good morning, Madam Chair, esteemed committee members and fellow witnesses.
I'd like to begin my statement by acknowledging that I speak to you today from Amiskwaciy-wâskahikan, or Beaver Hill House, what is now called Edmonton, on Treaty 6 territory.
My name is Christian Fotang and I am the chair of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, CASA. I am also the vice president, external affairs, at the University of Alberta Students' Union. I'm in my fourth year of a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in biology and minoring in psychology. I am joined today by our interim executive director, Jared Maltais, who will be supporting me in fielding your important questions.
CASA is a non-partisan, not-for-profit national advocacy organization that represents students at colleges, polytechnics and universities from coast to coast to coast. Through a formal partnership with the Quebec Student Union, we are a trusted and evidence-informed voice that represents 365,000 post-secondary students across Canada.
I would like to thank the committee for inviting us to speak today on this particularly important topic, which has serious implications for the future of Canadian post-secondary education, as well as the Canadian economy at large. As you know, international students are a critical part of the post-secondary community in Canada. They enrich the educational experiences on post-secondary campuses and facilitate an international forum for the sharing of ideas, expertise, research and scholarship.
International students are also significant contributors to regional economies. Despite their much higher tuition fees, the international student community in Canada has grown at a faster rate than that of domestic students. As of 2019, there were 827,000 international students studying in Canada, supporting nearly 170,000 Canadian jobs and contributing $21.6 billion to the national GDP. In addition to the value they inject into the Canadian economy, international students who decide to stay in Canada after their studies are essential to addressing the ongoing skilled worker shortage across the country. This issue will only become more acute as baby boomers retire and more skilled jobs go unfilled due to Canada's shrinking domestic labour pool.
Recognizing this, it's important that the Government of Canada develop a clear recruitment and retention strategy to help address the ongoing shortage of skilled Canadian labour. According to a 2018 survey, 60% of international students say they plan to remain and work in Canada once they graduate. When it comes to recruitment, it's important to recognize that Canada's post-secondary education system competes in an increasingly competitive international environment for talent. An advantage to emphasize is Canada's officially bilingual complexion and our ability to offer a high quality education to French-speaking international students around the world. It's a uniquely Canadian opportunity.
Quebec is the leading destination for many of these French-speaking international students, but there are other francophone educational institutions across the country. At Campus Saint-Jean, in Alberta, where I'm speaking to you from, we are also feeling the effects of these processing disparities. To increase the recruitment and retention of French-speaking international students, fundamental changes need to be made to the Canadian study permitting and immigration process.
As heard by this committee in late 2020, the study permit applications of French-speaking international students from Africa are disproportionately denied when compared to non-African countries. A re-evaluation of IRCC resources is needed to rebalance the system to serve international students looking to study in either of Canada's official languages.
That said, international students of both official languages face many other barriers when applying for their study permits. The process continues to be extremely onerous for any young adult unfamiliar with the Canadian immigration system to understand. CASA believes that IRCC must deploy additional capacity to study permit processing during peak season, and look to simplify their messaging to international students to make it easier to understand.
There are multiple reforms that the Government of Canada can implement immediately to make Canada a more attractive destination to international students of both official languages. This includes, first, allowing international students to participate in an internship or co-op under their existing study permit. Second, additional coordination can ensure that all study permits have consistent working conditions and that those who are eligible to work can seamlessly obtain a social insurance number without delay. Third is an increased recognition of Canadian educational experience within the express entry program. Fourth is the expansion of eligibility for off-campus employment to international students studying part-time. Finally, reform of the Canada summer jobs program would allow international students living in Canada to participate in summer employment opportunities funded by the federal government.
These recommendations are essential for making Canada a more attractive destination for international students of both official languages.
Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to answering your questions.