Fuelling the Knowledge Economy: International Students in Ontario

International students and their transition to highly-skilled migrants

Migration Futures: Perspectives on Global Changes

16th International Metropolis Conference

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Ontario’s Knowledge Economy

Ontario is quickly transitioning to knowledge-base economy. – Manufacturing sector declined during the recent recession.

– Employment growth post-recession has been concentrated in the services-producing sector: professional, scientific, technical and educational industry.

Increased globalization is putting pressure on Ontario to be more competitive and innovative.

Ontario is placing a strong focus on driving innovation and strengthening its human capital.

– In 2008, Ontario announced an innovation agenda with a $3B investment over eight years, including building on a diverse culture and a highly-skilled work force.

Immigration and the Knowledge Economy

One of the key challenges Ontario faces is a decreasing workforce due to an aging population and a declining birth rate.

Immigration is a key lever that Ontario is using to address demographic pressures and meet the future demands of the economy:

– Ontario’s Ministry of Finance predicts that immigration will account for all growth in the working age population within the next five years.

– Immigrants have the education to match future jobs in the knowledge economy:

• 70% of all future jobs will require a post-secondary education.

• According to 2009 Labour Force Survey data, 76% of very recent immigrants (here five years or less) between the ages of 25-54 have a post-secondary diploma.

– A 2010 Conference Board of Canada report noted that immigrants are strong contributors to innovation, a key driver of a knowledge economy.

International Students

International students make up a key segment of the immigrant pool that Ontario is seeking to attract and retain.

In 2010, the Government of Ontario announced to increase international student enrolment by 50% over five years in its post-secondary institutions.

– In 2009-10, over 38,000 were enrolled at Ontario postsecondary institutions.

In 2011, Ontario along with other Provinces/Territories endorsed an International Education Marketing Action Plan to attract and retain international students in Canada.

The federal government also signalled its commitment to attracting top international students, in 2008.

International students improve the flow of knowledge and information, understanding of global markets and make immediate contributions to the economy.

– In 2009-10, international students contributed $1 billion to the provincial economy.

International Students and Transition to Permanent Residency

International students are seen as long-term contributors to the province’s knowledge economy as they have:

– Canadian credentials;– Familiarity with Canadian society and culture; and– Language skills and work experience.

In Ontario, international students can transition to permanent residency through two routes:

– Opportunities Ontario: Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), International Student Category – administered by the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration.

– Canadian Experience Class – administered by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Opportunities Ontario: PNP, International Student Category, has three streams:– PhD Graduate Stream:

• Do not require a job offer;• Graduated from an Ontario publicly funded university;• Completed at least two years of their studies; and• Apply within two years of the date their degree is granted.

International Students and Transition to Permanent Residency (continued)

– Pilot Masters Graduate Stream:• Do not require a job offer;• Graduated from an Ontario publicly funded university;• Completed one academic year on a full-time basis;• Can apply within two years of graduation or during the last semester;• High official language proficiency;• Minimum level of savings/income to support themselves and their dependants; and• Lived in Ontario for at least one year in the past two years.

– Students with a Job Offer Stream:• Secured a full-time job offer; and• Graduated from a publicly funded college or university.

The Canadian Experience Class is available to students who graduated from a post-secondary institution with at least one-year of full-time work experience in Canada.

Opportunities for Ontario

Ontario continues to be an attractive destination for international students.– The number of international students in Ontario grew by 74% from 2001 to 2010 (from

49,104 to 85,280)

Uptake by international students of the Opportunities Ontario: PNP is promising:– Since January, 326 internationals students were approved through Opportunities Ontario:

PNP for permanent resident status.

- The number of international students increased by 12% from last year (292 students were approved in 2010).

Similar trends are surfacing through the Canadian Experience Class: – Ontario receives the largest share (64%) of immigrants that come through the CEC

program. Of that share, international students comprise of 63% of CEC intake. (Temporary Foreign Workers make up the remaining 37%).

Annex 1 – Statistics on International Students in Ontario

The following is a breakdown of the 326 international students approved (thus far) through Opportunities Ontario: PNP in 2011:

– 10 are PhD graduates without a job offer;

– 276 are Masters graduates without a job offer; and

– 40 are international students with a job offer.

The top five source countries based on 2010 data are:China 45%

India 22%

Pakistan 8%

Iran 5%

Taiwan 2%