Currently, more than 19,000 international students are studying in Atlantic provinces of Canada. And their number is growing.
According to a new report, more international students prefer to study in Canada in universities of the Atlantic provinces. In Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, the number of full-time international students has increased by 20%.
Cape Breton University in Nova Scotia has seen the largest growth rate: the number of international students has increased from 1,982 to 3,436. Meanwhile, Dalhousie University, also in Nova Scotia, has the largest number of international students in the region, at 4,417.
The Memorial University of Newfoundland has added 441 international students to a total of 3,202 students, while Mount Allison University in New Brunswick has seen growth by nearly 40% to 255 persons.
According to the Association of Atlantic Universities, 94% of international students said they felt welcome in Atlantic Canada, while 77% said they would like to live and work in this part of the country after graduation. These opinions are important given the demographic problems of the region.
International graduates are perfect for the role of permanent residents of Canada since they are young, they know the country and its official languages, have a Canadian education and often local work experience.
Note that the Atlantic provinces have their own immigration pilot program, which includes three streams, one of which is designed specifically for international graduates of universities in the Atlantic provinces.