Why study in Canada?

Are you interested in studying in Canada and wanting to know more about how the educational system works? Known for its excellent education system, Canada is among the best in the world. Each of Canada’s thirteen provinces and territories runs its own school system and follows government standards to ensure high-quality education across the country. School is mandatory from the age of six years old to eighteen years old.  After secondary school, a student may choose to attend university or college after secondary school. Both education systems help students prepare for their future.

A Great Choice For Your Future

Here are some reasons why pursuing post-secondary education in Canada could be a wise decision for an international student.

·        At college, students can get hands-on practical or technical skills training for a specific career. They provide subjects like Graphic design, web development, culinary arts, and occupational health, among other subjects. Good examples of colleges that offer these kinds of programs are NIC (North Island College) and NAIT.

·        Colleges frequently collaborate with employers from various industries to develop up-to-date curricula. Depending on your college program, you could study for one to three years. You will receive a certificate, degree, or diploma when you graduate. Seneca College offers a wide range of credentials from Certificate to degrees.

·        At university, students often study in-depth theoretical subjects like law, medicine, art history engineering, and much more. You might study anywhere from three to seven years depending on your program. When you graduate, you’ll receive a Bachelor’s, master or PhD degree.

·        Canadian colleges and universities offer flexibility. You might be granted academic credit for courses you've already finished if you want to transfer from one school to another.

·        Several of Canada’s universities appear on well-known university rankings lists such as the University of Alberta and Western University. Some Canadian college and university programs offer cooperative or work-integrated experiences where international students alternate between studying in class and working in their field of study.  The University of Waterloo offers the largest cooperative work program in Canada.

Top Five Reasons to Study in Canada.

1.      Pathway to PR (Permanent Residency)

Studying in Canada is the first step in getting permanent residency. While there are several pathways to residency, studying in Canada offers a more secure pathway to permanent residency. Canada has a system in place that invites or selects international students to apply for PR under the Express Entry Program. Under this system, international students are awarded additional points that not a lot of other applicants get because they don’t have a Canadian Education. With these additional points, international students are at an advantage because they are often ranked higher than others. This means that students or international students have a higher chance of receiving an invitation to apply for residency compared to other international students.

 2.      Work After Graduation

If you have finished your education at a DLI (Designated Learning Institute), you may be eligible to apply for a work permit for up to three years. There are mainly two types of work permits either closed or open.

Closed work permits, known as, employers specific work permits, are difficult to get because they require a job offer or a labor market impact assessment and this can only be done by the employer hiring an international student. While it’s possible to get where the employer has to justify why they would choose a temporary foreign worker as opposed to a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident.

Open work permits, this type of work permit does not require you to have a job offer or a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) you can work for any employer across Canada for any number of hours a week. The fascinating thing about this is that international students are eligible to apply for one through this work permit called a post-graduate work permit. A post-grad or a PGWP will allow you to gain valuable Canadian work experience that is counted toward your eligibility to apply for PR.

 3.      Language

For those that don’t know Canada speaks two official languages which are English and French. Canadian English is easier to grasp, understand, and replicate in speech. You will notice a drastic improvement in your vocabulary, sentence composition, and your accent. Being bilingual can give you more versatility and more ways to express yourself.

 4.      Quality Education

Canadian education is recognized worldwide for its top-notch educational system, and it shows. The government of Canada dedicated a great deal of its fiscal budget to funding public education, from primary to secondary to post-secondary education. The funding comes from many years of Canadian tax revenues. The funding goes directly to development and research, facility upgrades, services, and the like. International students are the direct beneficiary of the quality education system that has been improved for so many years. So even if international students pay three times more in tuition fees just know that you will be receiving a top-notch education, with knowledge and skills that will make you competitive in this ever-changing global economy.

 5.      Diversity

Canada provides diverse communities and human rights. Canada is known for its multiculturalism and its respect for human rights. It does not matter what your sexual orientation, religious beliefs, political views, race, or identity is, Canada wants you to express yourself freely and will respect whatever you believe in.

 Studying abroad and moving to another country can always be challenging but it has its benefits too. It can help you become a problem solver, open-minded and to better understand whom you want to become down the line.

 Photo by Anna Nekrashevich