Age of uncertainty - COVID’s impact on international students and foreign workers

Age of uncertainty - COVID’s impact on international students and foreign workers

Since March 2020, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the traditional way we live, study, work, and communicate with each other. International students, who have contributed nearly $22 billion annually to Canada’s economy, now faced a dilemma: to continue their studies inside Canada or return to their home countries and study remotely. Moreover, many international students reflected both financial and emotional anxiety about their situations in Canada, and also resilience and hope towards options that are available for them. The overseas visa application office (VAC) closures, the delayed processing time of inland and overseas applicants have drastically affected the intake of international students with confirmed study permits. Statistics from IRCC have reflected a 90% decrease of confirmed study permits issued at the university level and more than a 65% decrease in all other levels of education in 2020. The total number of confirmed study permits issued from January to September 2020 is 36,798, compared with 177,772  in 2019.

The pandemic has also greatly impacted temporary foreign workers who would like to come to Canada and those already working inside Canada. IRCC reflected the total approximate number of work permit holders in Canada in 2019 VS. 2020 has dropped from 403,000 to 211,000 (nearly 52%). The vast majority type of work permits is still open work permits including post-graduate work permits, open spousal work permits, and International Experience Class (IEC). The top occupations in all Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) are the following:

• NOC 8341 General farm workers 
• NOC 8432 Nursery and greenhouse workers
• NOC 7511 Transportation truck drivers
• NOC 6322 Cooks
• NOC 9463 Fish and seafood plant workers
• NOC 4411 Home child care providers
• NOC 6311 Food service supervisors
• NOC 9617 Labourers in food, beverage and associated products processing
• NOC 8611 Harvesting labourers
• NOC 8252 Agricultural service contracts, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers

The top occupations among International Mobility Programs (employer-specific but open work permit) are as follows:

• NOC 4011 University professors and lecturers
• NOC 2174 Computer programmers and interactive media
• NOC 2171 Information systems analysts and consultants
• NOC 3111 Specialist physicians
• NOC 2173 Software engineers and designers
• NOC 5241 Graphic designers and illustrators
• NOC 1122 Professional occupations in business management consulting 
• NOC 0213 Computer and information systems managers
• NOC Actors and comedians

Undoubtedly, the pandemic has had a significant impact on international students, foreign workers, and all foreign nationals. Every effort has been made by the Canadian government and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to minimize how current challenges can affect the plans and bright future of those young talents who are seeking high-quality education and skilled workers who contribute greatly to the Canadian labor market. Some of the temporary public policies have been implemented by IRCC:

• International students can study remotely and time spent studying outside Canada in a PGWP-eligible program will be counted towards the overall length of the post-graduation work permit, provided the student complete at least 50% of the studies inside Canada
• Expediting the processing time of study permits and work permit applications, particularly those who are changing jobs or employers
• Foreign nationals inside Canada with valid visitor status can apply and receive a work permit without having to leave Canada 
• Allowance of eligible foreign nationals who lost their temporary resident status between January 31, 2020 and December 31, 2020 to restore their status even if their status has been expired for more than 90 days.

During the pandemic, many international students, foreign workers, and visitors have approached us regarding how those temporary policies can benefit them and help them stay inside Canada. Ingwe team has assisted many international students to extend their study permit; restore their legal status without leaving the country; extend visitor status inside Canada; help families to reunite and apply for permanent residency. Now near the end of 2020, we all bear the hope that there will be light at the end of the tunnel, if you have any concerns please do not hesitate to contact us at #INGWECanada. We are here to help you with your #JourneyToCanada.

Why INGWE Canada?

At INGWE we have an entire team of experts that will handle your immigration case. This not only helps to ensure your application will get processed effectively but also to secure your chances for getting approval as your files get proofread by multiple staff members. Should one of our team members be unavailable at any given time, there will always be another one happy to take your call and answer your questions. Also, we offer our services in 5 different languages including English, Vietnamese, Spanish, Turkish, and Farsi to serve your needs. During a consultation with us, we will determine whether you qualify to apply and which programs you would be eligible for. We are going to list your possible options starting from the least expensive and fastest processing times. You will be able to answer all your questions regarding the Canadian immigration process at the end of the consultation. Once the consultation is completed and we have received all the information required, you will receive a personalized immigration plan, developed by our team. If you then decide to work with INGWE Canada, you will be offered a $150 CAD discount on our services!

Book your consultation today by following the link below.

https://www.ingwe.ca/store