Filipinos 3rd largest int'l student population in Canada —firm

More Filipinos are opting to pursue higher education in Canada, with the Philippine international student population increasing by more than 50% in 2023, according to a report by educational technology platform ApplyBoard. 

Citing data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, ApplyBoard said around 1 million international students were granted student visas last year, accounting for a 29.4% increase in the approved study permits in 2022. 

Of the figure, a total of 48,870 were Filipinos — 51%  higher than the 24,000 study permit holders monitored in 2022. 

“Strong growth in Alberta and Saskatchewan made the Prairies provinces the fastest-growing destinations for Filipino students in Canada over the past year,” the ApplyBoard report said. 

The Philippines ranked third among the countries with the largest international student population in Canada in 2023. India topped the list with 427, 085, followed by China with 102,150. Nigeria landed at fourth with 45,965 while France was fifth with 26,980. 

According to ApplyBoard, the number of Filipino students in Canada grew significantly in 2021, with a 156% increase in approvals compared to 2019. This continued in 2022, with approved study permits rising by 80% from 2021.  

“In 2022, the average age of Filipino students applying to study in Canada through the ApplyBoard platform was 31,” it said in its 2022 report. 

“With more mature Filipino students coming to study in Canada, there has been a noticeable rise in Filipino students bringing their children to Canada, resulting in an increase in primary and secondary enrollment numbers,” the firm added. 

Cap

Meanwhile, ApplyBoard said the trends may be “significantly altered” in 2024 following Canada’s cap on international student applications in the next two years. 

This means study permits will be allocated to each province’s population, adding that “applying to diverse locations within Canada will be more important than ever before.”

“The federal government intends to process no more than 606,250 applications for 2024, which is expected to limit the number of new student visa approvals to about 360,000 in 2024 — a reduction of 35% compared to 2023,” the firm said. 

Students pursuing Master’s, PhD, and K-12 education are exempted from the cap.

Last month, Canada announced an immediate, two-year cap on international student permits and said it would also stop giving work permits to some students after graduation as it seeks to rein in record numbers of newcomers seen aggravating a housing crisis, according to a Reuters report. —KBK, GMA Integrated News