Canada remains an increasingly popular destination for International students from across the global and Nigeria is very much at the heart of the narrative.
Data from the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) revealed that the number of rew study permits issued to Nigerians was nearly 14,000 in 2020 which effectively made it the ninth most popular source country for International students.
It has been reported that Over 42,000 Canadians of Nigerian descent currently call Canada home, and this number continues to grow every year.
Nigerians leverage on several migration pathways to Canada including Express Entry routes, however, the study visa route is popular because of the relative ease and high success rate.
So what makes Canada an excellent choice for International students ?
1. Variety of Study Programs and World Class Education
Canada offers a broad gestalt of world class programs across the STEM fields and even in business.
Students can choose from Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges offering Bachelor’s, Masters, Post Graduate Diplomas, Post Graduate Certificates and even Post Secondary Certificates.
Co-Op Courses are on offer to enable International students to pursue their degrees with alternating periods of work and study while offering them the requisite practical knowledge to match the classroom theory.
2. Friendly Culture
Canadians are renowned for their warmth, inclusiveness and diversity. Canada is characteristically multicultural.
Canadians are famed for being nice and have even been described as being “disproportionately polite”.
3. Affordability
Education in Canada is quite affordable, especially when compared with that of their North American neighbors, the USA.
With Canada, you really can cut your coat according to your size with tuition as low as 8000 CAD annually and as high as 30,000 CAD. There are also a number of merit based scholarships to be leveraged on.
4. Job Prospects
International students on a study visa in Canada are legally permitted to work for up to 20 hours weekly while in session and 40, hours during summer and winter breaks.
There is no need for a unique work permit application as this comes with the issuance of your visa.
5. Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) and Permanent Residency (PR)
Data from the IRCC indicates that 98.5 percent of International graduates who applied for Permanent Residency in Canada were successful thus gaining legal status to reside and work in Canada.
The natural trajectory for most International students is from PGWP to PR to Citizenship and this could be achieved within 5 years.
The Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) gives Intenrational students the opportunity to reside in Canada for up to three years after graduation. This could offer them the time to seek employment and permanent residency.
Interested in the limitless opportunities on offer in Canada ??
Connect with a Japafora Study Abroad Expert via our Whatsapp channels to discuss your options.
