Punjab IELTS centres hit hard after change in Canadian international students policy

Punjab IELTS centres hit hard after change in Canadian international students policy
Toronto: The recent alterations made by the Canadian government regarding the capping of the number of international students, discontinuation of the participation by public-private colleges, and changes in spousal open work visas have led to a significant decrease in the number of foreign students, as observed by owners of International English Language Testing System (IELTS) centres.

These centres also offer other English proficiency courses like PTE (Pearson Test of English), which has gained popularity among students recently and is also accepted in Canada. “I have been experiencing a decline of around 50 per cent in student numbers due to recent changes by the Canadian government related to international students,” said Sumit Jain of Jain Overseas in Jalandhar, one of the largest IELTS centres and overseas consultancies in the state. Jain added that despite the changes, Canada remains the best option for students due to its simple processing system.
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However, students now need to take their studies seriously and opt for proper public colleges for long-term benefits instead of taking courses that do not contribute to their skill development. Jain emphasized that Canada now prioritizes skilled individuals over unskilled, leading to such policy changes.

Sunil Kumar Vashisth, Associate Director of Pyramid e-Services in Jalandhar, another major centre, stated that they are also experiencing a 25 to 30 per cent decrease in student turnout following the changes by the Canadian government. According to him, under the new regulations, students must achieve good scores in the IELTS and carefully select their courses. Previously, many students aimed to settle in Canada without prioritizing their studies, but now they must make studying their priority. Now Canada is in need of skilled persons.

Gurpreet Singh, a consultant and IELTS trainer running i-Can consultancy in Kapurthala, claimed that are seeing a decrease of more than 50 per cent in student numbers after the recent changes in Canada. He noted that after 10+2 exams, many students used to enroll in IELTS and related courses, but this season, students are exploring various options before approaching them.

Recently, Canada implemented a cap, limiting the number of international students to not exceed 3.60 lakh. Additionally, spousal open work visas have been closed for those pursuing diploma courses, along with other changes such as the closure of public-private college partnerships. Now, students are required to attend classes properly in public colleges, unlike private colleges where they attended classes for only 2-3 days a week, focusing more on work to meet their fee requirements for the next semester. This shift aims to address the previous trend of an influx of unskilled individuals in Canada, which was not serving the country’s needs for skilled workers.

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