International Student Dilemma – Macleans.ca

I moved from New Delhi at the end of 2022. I moved to Thunder Bay, Ontario as an international student. I was 18 years old and alone for the first time in my life. I had just committed to spending the next three years of my life studying at Lakehead University and living in a small, isolated city. The tuition cost more than $100,000, and her father, an architect, and mother, a make-up artist, pooled much of their family savings to pay for it. They believed it was a necessary sacrifice for me to receive an education.

I’ve been passionate about video games since I was a child. I love intricate animation and the creativity it takes to create characters like Nathan Drake in the movies. uncharted adventure series. I have always dreamed of working in a game studio, but I had to leave India to have the best chance of achieving this goal. While an Indian university degree is respected only in South Asia, a Canadian degree opens doors anywhere in the world. Canada is also known for welcoming international students with open arms, and the quality of life is better. Housing costs are comparable in both, but salaries are much higher in Canada than in New Delhi, and the government supports international students by granting work permits after graduation. Many major video game studios also have offices in Canada, including his Ubisoft in Montreal and Rockstar Games in Toronto. While most international students go to urban centers like Toronto or Vancouver, I was attracted to Thunder Bay’s low cost of living.

The first time I saw Lake Superior, with its deep blue water as far as the eye could see, I was shocked. I studied hard, made friends with students in my dorm, and even learned that Thunder Bay had a sizable Indian community. I skied with friends on Baldy Mountain in the winter and kayaked on Lake Superior in the summer. I had a part-time job as a cook at a local casino, working 20 hours a week for $18.50 an hour. After my first year living on campus, I moved out and rented a room in a townhome that I shared with three housemates for $600 a month. I still get homesick and lonely from time to time, but I always remember how much my family invested in getting me here.

That’s why I was upset when the Canadian government announced that it plans to reduce the number of international students in Canada and reduce the issuance of study permits by 35 per cent over the next two years. Additionally, spouses of international students enrolled in undergraduate and university programs will no longer be able to obtain work permits. Since arriving in Canada, I’ve been seeing headlines and social media posts about Canadians blaming international students, and immigrants in general, for the housing crisis and rising cost of living. But I am also feeling the effects of these crises. Even though I always cook at home and take public transportation, I can barely live in Thunder Bay. It is also difficult for international students to find jobs. My colleague at the casino spoke very fast and I had a hard time understanding him at first because I wasn’t used to his accent. Some of them were irritated with me and the whole experience made me feel left out.

I’m worried about other changes that may occur over the next two years. Will the government reduce the number of years international students can stay in Canada after graduation? Will it become harder for work permit holders to apply for permanent residence? I wonder if all the sacrifices my family and I have made will be for naught? I am worried. Although I won’t be graduating until her 2026, I’m already diligently researching the job market and making emergency plans in case I can’t stay in Canada.

International students make a significant contribution not only to tuition fees, taxes, and economic activity, but also to fill labor shortages. I’ve only just scratched the surface in Thunder Bay, but I hope to build a career here and possibly start a family. However, given the cost and high competition, and given the uncertain immigration situation, I have thought a lot about leaving Canada once I graduate. Immigration to America is also difficult, but if I was offered a job in America, I would quit immediately.