Amid mounting uncertainty among Indian students pertaining to Canada’s immigration and student visa policies, the Canadian High Commissioner to India,
Chris Cooter, recently cleared the air, stating that the country is not closing its doors to Indian students and that now may be the "best time ever" for Indians to apply. Speaking to news agency ANI, Cooter said that Indians have a misconception about Canada being unapproachable to international students following revisions to its immigration system. "The reason is that there is a kind of misperception in India that Canada is shutting its doors. That is not at all the case," he said. Acknowledging the restrictions imposed by the country on international students earlier due to a lack of housing and concerns over the quality of several institutions, he said, "It's true that a couple of years ago we did impose a cap because we had issues--there simply wasn't enough housing, there were some fly-by-night colleges, we wanted to clean that up. But we've done that," he said. Shedding light on Canada’s continued appeal as a study destination, he said that the country houses around 400,000 international students. "And now we host 400,000 students in Canada. That's more than the EU, UK, and Australia combined. It's more than the US hosts," he added. Cooter then reassured Indian students and their families, saying that the country continues to offer top-notch educational opportunities and a friendly environment. "So yes, you are very, very welcome as students. And parents and students, please do consider Canada. We think that we provide a very high-quality education, whether that's university or polytechnic--we call them colleges," he said.
'Many Canadian Universities Are in Top 100': Cooter
Highlighting the international reputation of Canadian universities, he added, “Many of our universities, for example, are in the top 100--McGill, University of Toronto in the top 20 or so."
Elucidating on why it’s the best time for Indian students to apply, Cooter said, “We haven't even reached those caps. So actually, this is probably the best time ever to apply as an Indian student, because we want you there and there's space in these caps."
Acknowledging the visa processing delays and inconsistencies, he said that following Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to India earlier this year, the Canadian government is endeavouring to enhance the system.
"Both the business people and the students tell us about the problems they have with getting the visa. It seems inconsistent, or it takes too long," he said.
"I can tell you that as a result of the Prime Minister's visit here only two and a half months ago, we're actively at work on fixing those problems, making the experience much better for the student, for the parent, for the business people," Cooter added.
At last, he stressed that Canada strives to position its visa process ‘among the best’ globally.
(With Inputs from ANI)
