Thursday, April 24, 2025

Old International Student Surveys are Not Reliable

Starting in February 2025 - a series of events have occured

USA Travel bans under consideration: 

The New York Times and Reuters have claimed that a list of 41 countries are currently being considered for travel bans, based on an internal government memo. 

A group of 10 countries are being considered for full suspension of entry to the USA.including Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba and North Korea, also five counties: Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar and South Sudan – are being lined up for partial suspensions and a further 26 countries, including Belarus, Pakistan and Turkmenistan, will be considered for suspensions according to Reuters.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday the U.S. State Department may have revoked more than 3000 student visas

Reports vary with some claims that up to 4700 student visas have been cancelled, some arrested and some deported.

Old International Student Surveys are Not Reliable

In the last Emerging Futures report by IDP released in October 2024, based on the responses of 6,171 international students, the USA was the second-most preferred destination - 52 per cent of respondents said that perceptions of the USA had improved 

the 2024/25 INTO survey reveals visa delays as the major challenge for international students

 21% of students reported visa appointment and processing delays as the top reason for postponing their confirmation of university placement. 

Visa processing delays also disrupted orientation attendance, with 45% of students who missed orientation citing delayed visa approvals. 

International students need to research before choosing any USA school or location.

https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/united-states

Some European countries and Canada issue advisories for travelers to the U.S.

Friday, August 16, 2024

2024 Canada Student Visas Questions & Answers

What is the new Canada IRCC policy for post-graduation work permit in 2024?

How long is a post-graduation work permit valid? Starting February 15, 2024, students who graduate from master's degree programs of less than 2 years (8 months minimum) may be eligible for a 3 year post-graduation work permit.

Can students work full time after April 2024?

Full-time students can work 20 hours per week off campus, however, starting in the Fall of 2024, the allowable hours full-time students can work per week will increase to 24 hours.

How does IRCC know how many hours worked?

When you work in Canada you pay taxes and other payroll deductions. Those deductions along with information on your earnings are sent to the CRA on a regular basis. The hours are part of the information sent to the CRA.

What are the new rules for student visa in Canada 2024?

Starting January 1, 2024, the Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) requirement for international students applying for a Canadian study permit has doubled to CAD 20,635, up from CAD 10,000, to cover their living expenses, excluding tuition fees.

Changes in the Cost of Living Financial Requirement

# of Family Members $ Required (Before Jan 1, 2024) (CAN$) $ Required (After Jan 1, 2024) (CAN$)
1 10,000 20,635
2 14,000  25,690
3 17,000  31,583
4 20,000 38,346
5 23,000 43,492

For example, if a student with two family members plans to relocate to a Canadian province (excluding Quebec) for a year, the financial requirements, based on the table above, would be as follows:

As the primary applicant, the student would need to demonstrate funds amounting to $20,635 for the year to cover living expenses.

The first accompanying family member requires an additional $5,055 to meet the living expenses for a year.

The second family member would need $5,893 for their living expenses during the one-year stay.


What is the IRCC system for total student visas issued each year?

“The national cap for 2024 is 485,000.

About 20% of students apply for an extension each year and remain in the country. Therefore, IRCC subtracted that amount (97,000) from the target of 485,000 and set aside a small buffer to allow for other variations, resulting in a revised target of 364,000 NEW approved study permits in 2024.