World Education Services (WES) is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to helping international students, immigrants, and refugees achieve their educational and career goals in the United States and Canada. The weekly roundup includes research, stories, and events of interest to the Canadian immigration and settlement community. This content has been created by WES and is reproduced here with their permission, in partnership.
Study: International student graduates' labour market early outcomes—Results from the National Graduates Survey (Stats Canada)
International students who graduated from Canadian post-secondary schools are more likely to face underemployment when compared to their Canadian peers. When exploring the employment rates of nearly 83,000 international students who graduated in 2020, survey results indicate that more than a third held jobs that required less than the qualifications needed. Job match disparities were significant, with only 36.6 percent of international graduates with a bachelor’s degree reporting that their job was closely related to their education, compared to 58.8 percent of Canadian graduates. Additionally, international graduates are three times more likely to work in sales and service sectors than their Canadian counterparts and are likely to earn less. While the income gaps may be significant (21 percent), data demonstrates that the gap appears to narrow in the medium to long term, 9 percent five years after graduation. Recommendations to better support sustained and equitable labour market inclusion include fostering social capital expansion and tailoring academic programming to labour force shortages.
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Is immigration the only reason Canada is avoiding a recession? (Daily Hive)
In recent headlines, high immigration has been pinned as a leading contributor to Canada’s economic concerns. However, a closer look at the economy reveals a nuanced story – where a looming recession has been longstanding and increased population growth may have cushioned against steeper impact. When exploring GDP per capita, economist Andrey Pavlov notes that Canada has been in recessional territory for the past two years with productivity steadily declining. Swift population growth has supported strategies to safeguard against an aging workforce. Economists warn that clamping down heavily on immigration may not be strongest approach to alleviating pressures facing the economy and greater focus should be placed on integration and employment support for immigrants already in Canada and removing excess red tape to national productivity.
The hidden truth about migrant deaths at the Canada-U.S. border (The Conversation)
While Canada and the US have been introducing sweeping measures to curtail irregular migration, challenges to safe and orderly migration will persist. Researchers note that tighter border policies do not deter unauthorized migration but rather increases the risk of migrants seeking more remote and dangerous pathways to entry. This results in many migrants exposing themselves to more volatile conditions such as human smuggling operations. Documented evidence reveals that between 2020-2023, 15 deaths have occurred at official ports of entry, while a total of 38 have been recorded at irregular crossings. Advocates and policy makers are bracing for a potential influx of asylum seekers to Canada, given recent executive orders issued by the Trump Administration in the US. Canada has taken swift action to beef up border security, though additional support is needed to ensure the well-being and safe passage of vulnerable migrants.
This licensed Canadian immigration consultant was impersonated by a fraudster. How migrants are being scammed by ‘ghost agents’ (Toronto Star)
Cases of fraud continue to permeate the immigration consulting industry. While measures have been implemented to punish ‘bad actors’ within the sector, systemic challenges remain. Based on recent developments, ghost agents are individuals who pretend to be accredited consultants, providing immigration advice without going through the correct regulatory channels. With rapid changes facing the immigration policy landscape, concerns are mounting over the increase in confusion and barriers to adequate information provision. Preying on client desperation, misinformation, and/or limited digital proficiency, scammers often capitalize through exploiting online platforms to steal consultant identities from abroad. Unlike other forms of fraud and identity thefts, immigration fraud is complex to mitigate as Canadian authorities are limited to domestic jurisdictions. In order to strengthen capacity and reduce harm, federal investigators as well as regulated immigration professionals should engage in enhanced licensing, enforcement, and public awareness mechanisms.
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Is Canada’s Population Slowing According to Plan? (Desjardins)
Despite measures to radically decrease Canada’s immigration levels and pause population growth, the impacts have been slow. Gains have cooled in key segments of the population and rapid growth of new non-permanent residents has slowed. Although admissions of international students have decreased, Canada is set to continue to welcome a similar number of temporary foreign workers (TFWs) and permanent residents based on figures from late 2024. As a result, Canada’s population growth rates remain roughly the same as before October 2024, when cuts were introduced. If more “aggressive” reductions are not in place, Canada is likely to miss targets to regulate exponential populations growth – according to Desjardins. Additionally, the country risks experiencing further fiscal challenges in sectors that rely heavily on TFWs that could trigger higher costs for businesses and increased inflation nation-wide.
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