Canada: The relaxed policy for studying abroad is loose in appearance but tight in reality, while the immigration policy is vague and unclear.

In July and August, when the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, etc. began to implement the relaxed policies for studying abroad set at the beginning of the year and achieved initial results, the Visa Office of the Canadian Embassy in China also announced the results of Canada's relaxed policies. According to statistics from relevant departments, the number of people applying for Canadian study visas in the first half of 2011 increased by about 25% compared with the previous period. Study abroad experts said this was due to Canada’s lower requirements for visa security deposits. However, while the number of applicants has increased, Canada has not lowered its requirements for applicants. Although it has launched the SPP plan for some students, this plan still has great restrictions on the choice of schools for international students. Unlike the United States, which relaxed its visa policy, various ways to study abroad that lowered the threshold have been accepted in China, and the visa approval rate has increased significantly; it is also different from the industrialization of education in the United Kingdom and Australia, which improved visa policies while also increasing the number of international students; Although Canada's visa policy is seemingly relaxed, the visa approval rate is relatively low.

Behind the relaxed study abroad policy

Visa policy is one of the main means for target study countries to control the number and quality of overseas students. It has always been used by countries with industrialized education such as the United Kingdom and Australia. Very skillfully, usually, the United Kingdom and the United States and other countries will launch a series of projects or programs to attract international students to study abroad in response to changes in visa policies. However, Canada’s revised visa policy this year only includes: the deposit period for applying for a visa is reduced from the previous 18 months to 12 months. There is no significant adjustment in the amount of funds, while the adjustments to lower the student language and financial requirements are all Packaged as SPP plan.

Regarding Canada’s relaxed study abroad policy, many study abroad experts said that students still need to be strict with themselves. Some experts even believe that not only has the policy not been relaxed, but it has become more stringent, judging from the lower visa approval rate. Aoji study abroad experts believe that although the number of visa applicants has increased, Canada's review of study visa application materials is very strict. When many students heard that the policy was relaxed, they began to relax, so many students were rejected this year. Regarding visa rejections, the Canadian Embassy Visa Office revealed that some Chinese students were rejected because the submitted application materials were incomplete, the information in the application was inaccurate, and the application contained false documents and false information.

Experts from the Canadian Education Center (CEC) China Office believe that the relaxation of the SPP program’s requirements for international students has lowered the threshold for studying in Canada. According to CEC experts, the purpose of the SPP program is to improve the success rate of visas for students who want to apply for some Canadian colleges. Students sign the information disclosure form to allow the school to report the students' attendance in Canada to the visa office. That is, the Canadian Embassy will conduct real-time monitoring of the study and attendance of students participating in the SPP program in Canada. Chu Weimei, an expert on studying abroad at American and Canadian Bailey, believes that the SPP plan achieves the purpose of lowering the threshold for studying abroad, but it also increases the restrictions on students’ school choices, and students’ performance in school will be directly fed back to the embassy visa office, and the visa office will also Join in the management of students studying abroad.

Immigration policies are in limbo

In terms of attracting international students, in Canada, like Australia, immigration has always been a factor that has attracted much attention. Zhang Hengrui, President of Gosden Xuemei, believes: “People who choose to study in Canada do so because the competition is not as fierce as in the United States and the overall atmosphere in Canada is relatively lively. On the other hand, it is also because Canada’s social security is very good and Canadian citizens can often obtain The subsidies provided by the government have allowed some people to complete their undergraduate or even graduate studies, and some students who took a break from school but did not work were able to complete their studies because of the subsidies they received; and compared to the United States, it is easier to immigrate to Canada. These are all reasons that attract international students to Canada.”

However, Canada has tightened its immigration policy this year after tightening it last year. It is reported that the Canadian Federal Immigration Service officially announced in mid-July 2011 that it would only accept 700 applications that met the material requirements in the following year, and then officially closed the federal investment immigration project for this year. Regarding this policy, Chu Weimei believes that social employment pressure is great. Not only investment immigration, but also skilled immigration are tightening than before. However, the immigration quotas in Canadian provinces have not been reduced. The current situation also shows that more Immigrants began to turn their attention to the province. Therefore, behind the loosening and tightening of immigration policies, studying abroad in Canada does not seem to be greatly affected.

Proving ability and financial strength is the first priority

No matter how Canada’s study abroad and immigration policies change, industry experts’ advice to students is to find ways to prove ability and financial strength to cope with the changes. key. Aoji study abroad experts believe that Canada’s adjusted policy mainly focuses on the guarantee deposit period, so students should prepare all supporting materials such as bank deposit history records on the premise that their English scores meet the standards. Jin Jilie, a study abroad expert, also believes that the SPP plan is only for some students whose academic performance is not up to standard and whose guarantee deposit has not yet reached the standard. If students can prove their academic performance, social ability and sufficient savings, it will be easy for them to successfully apply for study abroad regardless of how the study abroad policy is adjusted.

When applying for a visa, it is best for students not to show their intention to immigrate. Jinjilie’s study abroad experts believe that if students have the tendency to immigrate when applying for a study visa, they will easily be rejected, especially when the number of applicants has increased significantly compared with before. At this time, what the visa officer values ??is the student’s reasonable study purpose, plan to study abroad, plan to return to the country for employment, and stable employment of the family and parents, etc., because in this way the visa officer will think that the student is applying for the visa for study and has sufficient funds. Support students to complete several years of study.

There are also different opinions in the study abroad industry about studying in Canada. For example, if students’ grades and financial guarantees are sufficient, it is a better choice to study in the United States. Zhang Hengrui believes that the United States and Canada are very different in terms of the number of schools, quality, and employment environment after graduation, and it is difficult for students who study in Canada to transfer to the United States. Therefore, if you simply study abroad, the United States will be better. Choice, but if it is related to immigration, Canada will have more advantages. However, if the immigration policy is also tightened, international students should carefully consider their study abroad destination. "If students really want to make a careful plan for their future, they should first look at their own conditions, then properly consider the major for studying abroad, and then choose a country and college with a strong major in this major. This will be more rational. ideas.

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