Int’l students face uncertainty, anxiety during COVID
Int’l students face uncertainty, anxiety during COVID
Migrant students expect more from Canada
By Veronica Silva Cusi
The Philippine Reporter
Bea Delgado was a contented overseas Filipino worker until a personal life-altering event saw her packing for Toronto, Ont. in 2018. Canada wasn’t exactly part of her plan, even though her closest sister among eight siblings had been nagging her to live the Canadian dream.
Yet, after two years as an international student, she’s now employed full-time in one of the top banks in the country. But her modest success was without struggles that almost brought her to tears, she told The Philippine Reporter.
“It was zero [job] prospects at some point — from April to June. Not even a call,” recounts the 30-something Cebuana who completed a two-year Ontario diploma last spring. “There were just computer-generated replies saying, ‘Sorry’.”
COVID-19 saw thousands of international students facing uncertainty as Canada lost one million and two million jobs in March and April, respectively.
According to Migrant Students United, which is campaigning to protect the rights of international students, some migrant students who currently have non-renewable post-graduate work permits (PGWP) risk facing deportation as they are unable to find work during the lockdown. Some international students are also not able to access healthcare since the service is tied to having full-time jobs.
Last October 25, Migrant Students United installed a massive sized PGWP in front of an immigration office in downtown Toronto to ask what they call a “simple and easy fix” to help international students cope with the pandemic – by making the PGWP renewable.
Canada’s international student program, which attracts thousands of students from all over the world each year, has a path to permanent residency under certain conditions. According to Statistics Canada, there were more than 296,000 international students enrolled in Canada’s public colleges/universities in 2017-2028. They represent 14 per cent of enrolment.
According to Global Affairs Canada, the economic contribution of almost 524,000 international students in 2016 amounted to $15.5 billion for tuition, accommodation and discretionary spending.
For Delgado, uncertainty stems from the fact that she is currently on “implied status” after she has submitted her application for the PGWP. The PGWP allows international students an opportunity to gain Canadian experience after completing their programs. The permit ranges from eight months to three years, depending on their academic program.
Temporary residents who have submitted their application packages but haven’t received an approval yet are deemed to be in implied status.
Like other government agencies, the services of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which processes the PGWP, have been affected by COVID-19. Health regulations “limit our ability to process applications normally,” advised IRCC on its website.
Abigail (not her real name) from Bulacan is scheduled to complete her two-year Ontario college diploma in spring 2021. As a current international student, Abigail, 26, fears for her status if she speaks up about her experience. She said she “shares the lived experiences of Migrant Students United.”
“I experienced the financial hardships, difficulties in adjusting to a new culture and the difficulties I have to face because of my status. I have to think about my future as a foreigner in Canada. I don’t’ have much certainty here in Canada because of my status.”
Abigail lost her job in the food services sector during the lockdown.
At the height of the pandemic, Restaurants Canada, an industry group, estimated that 800,000 workers in the food service industry were laid off or had their work hours reduced to nil. While some jobs were regained after some regions eased the lockdown, Restaurants Canada estimated last October that almost 200,000 were again lost, with another 100,000 more to come as the country struggles with the second wave.
While both Bea and Abigail were able to avail of CERB, delays in processing at the IRCC are a cause for concern.
“CERB did not eliminate the anxiety for the future,” said Abigail.
Abigail’s program is in social services. With funding and donations for charities, food banks and similar social services reduced, Abigail fears for 2021.
“What if I graduate and there are delays in the processing of PGWP and I get it late?” she added.
But even before she can complete her program, Abigail, along with current international students, is also struggling to find the means to pay for the next tuition fees due or next month’s rent or groceries.
Like other international students, Abigail is asking for reduced tuition fees, especially during the pandemic when jobs are hard to come by.
International students pay up to three times more than Canadian students who are permanent residents or citizens. Furthermore, some government financial assistance, such as student loans, may not be available to them. While international students are expected to have enough funds to complete their program, they are also allowed to work on- and off-campus to finance their expenses.
Uncertainty for current international students and recent graduates stem from the limitations and conditions of their status.
Post-graduate international students need full-time job classified as skill type 0 or skill level A or B – or managerial, professional or technical levels — under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) to enable them to earn enough points to apply for permanent residency.
Sarom Rho, national coordinator of Migrant Students United, said “these jobs are difficult to find for migrant students even in the best of times — because many employers don’t want to hire migrants on temporary permits — but during a crisis, it is nearly impossible.”
Canada had stepped in to help international students cope with the pandemic. Up until August 31, 2020, international students allowed to work while studying were allowed to work more than the usual 20 hours per week off-campus if they were working in essential services.
However, such jobs don’t qualify PGWP holders to earn points to apply for PR status.
Rho said international students working in these essential services “don’t have essential rights because they don’t have permanent residency status.”
Because of her good work performance, Abigail was also able to regain her job in the food services sector, albeit at reduced hours. Recently, she also had an opportunity to work in her profession after doing well in a school placement last winter. Unfortunately, her current work permit allows for only a maximum of 20 hours per week while the job opportunity is for full-time work.
“I already have limited opportunities for work [due to conditions of status]; now, I have lesser opportunities for work because of the pandemic,” said Abigail.
“Slowly, the opportunities started opening up,” said Delgado, who landed a full-time job last August that qualifies her to earn points to apply for permanent residency eventually.
“International students contribute to the economy of Canada,” said Abigail. “We’re hoping that government will give us an easier pathway to permanent residency should we choose to stay in Canada.”
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