Author
November 21st, 2018
New data reveals that Canada issued a total of 317,328 study permits last year to international students from 180 countries, an increase of around 20 percent from the 2016 figure of 265,045.
A total of 92 percent of study permit applications submitted overseas were finalized within the established service standard of two months, well within the government’s target. International students add an estimated $15 billion a year to Canada’s economy, with many students going on to settle in the country through one of the many Canadian immigration programs available to graduates.
Students from India and China together represented more than half of all students issued a Canadian study permit in 2017, while Canada also remains a popular study destination for students from South Korea, Vietnam, France, Brazil, the United States, Japan, Nigeria, Mexico and Iran.
Study permits issued in 2017 by student country of citizenship
Where are students heading to in Canada?
Nearly half of all international students who obtained a study permit in 2017 were destined for universities and colleges in Ontario, home to Canada’s largest city, Toronto, as well as its capital, Ottawa, and a host of other popular study destinations such as Waterloo and London.
BC welcomed around one in every four international students, with renowned institutions such as the University of British Columbia (UBC), situated on the BC coast just south of downtown Vancouver, continuing to draw students from around the world.
Quebec was the next most popular destination for international students last year, with most heading to institutions in Montreal, which last year was crowned the best student city not just in Canada, but in the entire world.
Tens of thousands of international students ventured to other locations across Canada, with 200 even heading north to the Yukon territory.
Destination of new international students in Canada, 2017
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