How Indian students contribute crores every year to Canada’s economy

India’s diplomatic rift with Canada has made tens of thousands of students and their families in the South Asian country jittery. Indians make up the highest number of international students in Canada, contributing crores of rupees to the economy of the North American country. While Canada has not indicated any intentions to halt student visas for Indians so far, there are concerns about the possibility of the approval for visas becoming harder amid the tensions. Let’s take a look at the statistics of Indian students in Canada and how any likely visa ban for them could hurt Canada’s economy. Canada’s international students Canada is one of the most preferred foreign destinations for students from India wanting to pursue higher education. Of the more than 800,000 international students in Canada last year, 40 per cent were from India, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data. As per the Canadian Bureau of International Education, the number of Indian students in Canada rose 47 per cent to nearly 320,000 in 2022. Foreign students contribute over $22.3 billion per year to the Canadian economy, The Tribune reported citing IRCC. [caption id=“attachment_13168792” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Between 2012-13 and 2020-21, Canada saw a 342 per cent increase in international enrolments. Reuters (Representational Image)[/caption] Between 2012-13 and 2020-21, Canada saw a 342 per cent increase in international enrolments, as per the data issued by the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario. These overseas students pour significant money into Canada’s economy. International students pay an average of $14,306 (over Rs 8 lakhs) in tuition fees annually, as compared to a domestic fee of $3,228 (about Rs 2 lakhs) paid by Canadians, according to The Tribune report. Many public colleges in Canada also depend heavily on the tuition fees of foreign students. In 2020-21, about $1.7 billion in tuition fee revenue across Ontario came from international students, as per the Indian publication report. Most of the students from Punjab Out of the 226,450 visas approved by Canada for Indian students in 2022, about 1.36 lakh applicants were from Punjab, as per a Khalsa Vox report. Presently, an estimated 3.4 lakh Punjabi students are enrolled in educational institutions across Canada. “Based on the figures available to us, nearly 60 per cent of Indians migrating to Canada are Punjabi, accounting for an estimated 1.36 lakh students who went last year. On average, each student pays approximately 17,000 Canadian dollars (around Rs 1 lakh) in annual fees, in addition to depositing 10,200 Canadian dollars (over Rs 6 lakh) as Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) funds,” Kamal Bhumla, chairman of the Association of Consultants for Overseas Studies, told Khalsa Vox. Speaking to Khalsa Vox, a senior official at a forex company in Jalandhar said, “We often observe that the average expenditure incurred by Punjabi parents to send their children to Canada on a student visa amounts to approximately Rs 20 lakh per year. Extrapolating from this data, it is safe to estimate that there are at least 3.4 lakh Punjabi students in Canada, collectively contributing Rs 68,000 crore annually to the Land of the Maple Leaf.” ALSO READ: Should Indian students, diaspora worry amid souring Indo-Canada relations? Worry among Indians Parents and Punjab politicians have expressed concerns about the Indian students pursuing education in Canada. Balwinder Singh, whose daughter studies in Canada, told ANI, “We are worried, my daughter went to Canada to study, and it’s been seven months since she left. There is news in the media that there is tension going on between both countries (India and Canada). My child is also worried there, she can’t focus on her studies.”

#WATCH | Amritsar, Punjab: " We are worried, my daughter went to Canada to study, it's been 7 months since she has left...there is news in the media that there is tension going on between both the countries (India and Canada). My child is also worried there, she can't focus on… pic.twitter.com/c9HLChwg4F

— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2023

Amid the nosedive in relations between the nations, Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar urged External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Saturday (23 September) to set up a helpline for Indian students and residents in Canada.

In view of the strained diplomatic ties between India and Canada, I have written to Sh. @DrSJaishankar ji to have MEA set up a help line to address the concerns of our citizens and students in Canada. (Punjabis form the biggest number of our citizens residing in Canada). I have… pic.twitter.com/E5mvmy9LNJ

— Sunil Jakhar (@sunilkjakhar) September 23, 2023

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Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu also called for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to ensure the well-being of the students in Canada. ALSO READ: How India-Canada ties turned rocky under Justin’s father, Pierre Trudeau Consultants in India have tried to allay fears of Indians planning to study in Canada. “Fake news is doing the rounds. We are receiving calls from many students and their parents asking if they can still opt for Canada for higher studies. The students who have flights next month are asking whether they will be able to fly to Canada. All we can say is that there is nothing to worry. Those students who have already got visas can fly as per their schedule. There will also be no problem for students who have applied or are applying for student visas. The Canadian government has not cancelled visas that have already been given to Indian students," Vinay Kumar, the head of a reputed visa consultancy firm in Surat, told Indian Express.  With inputs from agencies