Background

There is a significant population of international students (IS) studying at various levels of education in Canada. Different stakeholders benefit from IS studying in Canada. At the core are the IS who wish to gain a Canadian credential, most of which eventually take the path to Canadian Permanent Residence (PR) and citizenship. Canadian work experience is an important criterion for PR eligibility. Even though IS are Canadian educated and have proficiency in at least one of Canada’s official languages, they face a complex web of barriers entering the workforce, such as credential gaps, discrimination, career miseducation, and the ubiquitous requirement for ‘Canadian work experience’.

With employment anxiety being a significant source of stress amongst IS, the ecosystem surrounding and informing the IS experience must work in tandem to support students in finding and retaining meaningful work. In their workplaces, IS should feel comfortable contributing their skills, knowledge, and gifts which would lead to their positive integration into the workforce. When the players within the ecosystem work together to recognize, understand, and address the barriers students face, a model for sustainable attraction and retention of IS talent can be realized.

The main stakeholders of influence in an IS’ career development ecosystem include:

1. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and provincial bodies who develop and enact policies affecting IS work authorization before and after graduation,
2. Post-secondary institutions (PSIs) who are the driving force for inbound mobility of IS who are allowed to work in Canada, and 
3. Employers who encounter IS seeking employment with their organizations.

IRCC, Provincial Immigration Policies, and Their Impact on IS

IS, PSIs, and employers have been on edge since IRCC first announced changes to international student off-campus work regulations since the pandemic hit in 2020. These changes shifted over the last four years due to emerging and changing labour market needs across Canada. IS readily answered the call to fill the labour shortage, however, as quickly as policies enabled IS to work full-time during academic semesters, the option was removed. The constant changes in work-related policies have a negative impact on students’ well-being as they could not accurately project a long-term plan to finance their studies in Canada. On another note, students who were hoping to explore provincial pathways to PR have also been affected by changes to provincial immigration policies.

While efforts to stabilize Canada’s economy, such as the recent cap imposed by IRCC to decrease the number of study permits issued do not directly impact current students, quick, unexpected changes like these lead to a heightened state of unease. Students are aware that policies can change at any time which can jeopardize their current studies and future plans of working and immigrating to Canada permanently. One such recent change is the IRCC-imposed end to PGWP flagpoling, a pathway often chosen by IS to reassure prospective employers of their work eligibility.

PSIs

PSIs recruit IS to their campuses as key contributors to their internationalization efforts. PSIs are microcosms of their local communities with almost any service one would encounter in the broader community being found on campus. Career services is one such example. PSIs, and by extension, career services, are also in limbo with the ever-changing immigration policies. The planned decrease of IS numbers, along with the anticipation of the “Trusted Institutions Framework” will bring into question whether these services are appropriately resourced.

These can be challenging conversations to have institutionally, especially when financial resources are a factor. Putting these institutional nuances aside, career educators (CEs) who currently prepare IS for their future careers must be agile in their advising, keeping abreast of changes in immigration regulations through regular, intentional conversations with their International student offices. While CEs may not be qualified to give immigration advice, they should understand the impact of the advice they provide to students, particularly those in precarious situations. CEs need to be mindful of the trauma students hold due to changing regulations and use a Student Ready approach to student support. CEs must address students’ needs with understanding and empathy, moving beyond helping students find employment to providing holistic care for students’ well-being. 

Employers

It is widely known that Canada has been facing a labour shortage for some time. The constant changes in immigration regulations along with the planned decrease of the IS talent pool could be worrisome for employers. Employers will need to review their short-term plans and make projections for their long-term goals without thorough understanding of how these provisions being put in place today will impact them in the future. However, as employers continue to hire from the existing talent pool, they need to be ready to welcome IS into their workforce, considering their value proposition such as diversifying the workforce and building intercultural fluency which is desirable in the global economy.

Much like CEs, employers must keep abreast of changes to immigration regulations that impact IS in the workplace and be willing to pivot when there are changes in policy. Suggestions include not penalizing students for having to constantly modify the number of hours they can work and being knowledgeable that students can start working full-time before receiving their PGWPs. Employers should also be intentional in their approach to procuring global talent, ensuring that they can successfully integrate equity-deserving groups in the workplace. 

A Sustainable Early Career Ecosystem for IS

With the current changes in immigration policies, the realities of a decreased talent pool of IS, and many unknowns to come, the importance of partnerships between institutions, employers, and the government, informed by the student voice is needed more now than ever for sustainable attraction and retention of IS talent to the Canadian economy.

Government agencies and policymakers can make a positive contribution to the ecosystem by working alongside IS and IS advocacy organizations such as the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) to create favourable immigration policies and support systems that facilitate opportunities for IS to gain meaningful work experience.

PSIs and employers should proactively and intentionally leverage connections within their ecosystem to be knowledgeable of immigration policies and the current landscape of the IS experience. PSI-employer partnerships can be used to highlight the IS talent that institutions can provide to the workforce. Increasing work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences is an optimal way to bring IS talent to employers. Both parties should connect and collaborate with organizations that specifically fund WIL opportunities for IS. Employers get to welcome and integrate IS talent in their workplaces and will be better positioned to channel the early pipeline of global talent. PSI-employer partnerships could also make way for open dialogue on student and employer challenges during the hiring process. This will be a great opportunity to demystify common perceptions with opportunity for CEs to shift their programming to address these misconceptions.

Working together, these partnerships can be a platform for supporting IS during this time of transition, demystifying misinformation surrounding IS employability, bringing IS talent full circle from studies to postgraduate work, while fulfilling Canada’s labour needs.

Resources

• Supporting international students’ career development from a strengths-based lens
• Supporting international graduate students’ career development
• Helping international students navigate career options
• Adapting career services to optimize the international student experience

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Candace Stewart-Smith (she/her), M.Ed., M.Sc.
Director, Centre for Experiential and Career Education | University of the Fraser Valley

Candace Stewart-Smith is the Director of the Centre for Experiential and Career Education at the University of the Fraser Valley, in the traditional Territory of the Stó:lō Nation. She has previously worked extensively in the areas of International student support and development, programming for first-generation racialized students, and intercultural education and training in the higher education industry. As a scholar-practitioner, Candace’s mission is to work alongside persons in making meaning of their experiences as they develop and advance in their careers.

LeChelle Saunders (she/her), M.Ed., RCIC
Founder and Lead Consultant| Tallawah Immigration Consulting

LeChelle Saunders is the founder of Tallawah Immigration Consulting (TIC), a boutique firm offering personalised and comprehensive immigration services. With a unique blend of managerial acumen, immigration proficiency, and a genuine passion for supporting International students, she excels in developing, implementing, and assessing student support services within the higher education sector. Committed to equity, diversity, and inclusivity (EDI) — a cornerstone of TIC’s client-centred approach — LeChelle has contributed to sustainable ecosystems for student success through her involvement with the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) and the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS).