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In a major relief to the international students who were planning to come to Quebec for their studies in the Fall 2020 or Winter of 2021 sessions, Quebec’s Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEES) allowed them to begin their studies online while they are forced to stay in their country of origin because of coronavirus-related travel restrictions in the province this fall as reported by Radio-Canada.
This announcement is excellent news for thousands of international students that come to Quebec every year to study.
Under the earlier and usual criteria, international students studying in Quebec had must to reside in the province. Colleges and universities in Quebec were also receiving funding from the provincial government only if that condition was fulfilled. However, because of the measures put in place to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that the borders are still closed, the arrival of these students in the coming months is uncertain.
“Students make their decisions in May or early June. If they [can’t come] to Quebec, they will go elsewhere in the world,” Pierre Cossette, president of the Bureau de coopération interuniversitaire (BCI), had told Radio-Canada a few weeks ago.
Two weeks ago, Quebec’s immigration ministry had announced that due to Covid-19 crisis, it would extend the validity of Certificates of Acceptance of Quebec (CAQs) that were about to expire. Quebec students are now able to apply to the federal government for an extension of their study permit without having to submit a new CAQ, which will allow them to maintain their temporary resident status and complete their programs of study.
Earlier, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) had also announced a major reform of the Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP). International students will now be able to complete 50 per cent of their programs online and still be able to obtain the PGWP to work in Canada after they complete their studies. Normally, online courses do not count toward the study requirement for a PGWP application.
As international students make a significant contribution to the Canadian economy, the federal and provincial governments are considerate in relaxing the conditions for them.
According to Canadian government estimates, international students contribute some $22 billion to Canada’s GDP each year. In Quebec, where the population of international students is the third-largest in Canada, their contribution is estimated at $3 billion in addition to supporting 25,000 jobs on an annual basis.
