As the number of Indian students going to the United States and the United Kingdom saw a sudden drop in the last two years, the number of students going to Canada has doubled during the same period.
According to the latest immigration report released by the Canada government, in 2009, 5,709 Indian students went to Canada which reached 11,735 in 2010. In 2011, the figure rose to 12,049.
Meanwhile, to encourage more Indian students to opt for Canada, the Canada government is organising various seminars across the country through Shahstri Indo-Canadian Institute, New Delhi.
The drop in number of students to the US and UK was attributed to the grim global economic situation and unemployment there. Also, the UK has tightened its visa norms, abolishing the post-study-work visa from 2011.
The report also said the number of Indian students in the country has grown 10-fold in 10 years. Nicolas Lepage, consul and senior trade commissioner of Canada in Mumbai, said, “Canada has the provision of three-year post-study-work visa. Also, we have tremendous job opportunities.”
According to the ‘Open Doors’ report of the US, in 2009, 1,05,000 Indian students were studying in the US. The number dwindled to 1,03,895 in 2010 which further shrunk to 1,00,207 in 2011. The UK also saw a dip in Indian students. According to data provided by the UK Boarder Agency, in 2010, more than 41,000 Indian students took admissions in UK universities. The number dwindled to just 32,000 in 2011.