The Growing Popularity Of Australia And Canada Among Indian Students For Higher Studies

Rohit Sethi Apr 27, 2019

When it came to studying abroad, the US was typically the first destination that Indian students thought of. This trend, however, has seen a gradual downfall in the last few years due to factors like the depreciation of the Indian rupee, stricter visa requirements, and increasing intolerance towards foreign nationals within the US. These factors have made Indian students look for other options – and towards Australia and Canada, which are fast emerging as the most in-demand higher education destinations in India.

Statistics revealed by Rod Hilton, the Deputy High Commissioner of Australia in India, show that approximately 68,000 Indians opted to pursue higher education in Australia in 2017, a 14 per cent year-on-year increase over 2016. This was followed by 60,062 Indian students going to Australia for higher education by February 2018.

What’s also interesting is the variety of cities Indians are choosing to study in. Instead of remaining concentrated in traditionally popular hubs such as Sydney and Melbourne, students are beginning to explore other areas such as Gold Coast, Northern Territory, Adelaide, and Perth. Another interesting trend to note is the fact that 46 per cent of the Indian parents are now choosing Australia as their child’s first preference for higher education, as revealed by an HSBC report.

Canada is also witnessing a similar resurgence in popularity as a preferred choice for Indian students. In 2017, Indian nationals were given as many as 83,540 study permits, as mentioned by the Canadian High Commissioner in India. The number of students who enrolled in science and technology courses has also significantly increased over the years.

There are numerous reasons why Indian students are preferring to go to Australia and Canada for their higher studies, be it the number of interdisciplinary programmes on offer or the stay-back opportunities provided by their respective governments. Listed below are a few key reasons why these two countries have caught the attention of Indian students:

Post-study work permit

While many countries don’t offer the option of a post-study work permit to students, Australia and Canada do. Foreign students in Australia can apply for a post-study work visa if they have studied for 2 years or more in the country. Similarly, Canada gives a work permit for 3 years to students on the completion of a Master’s degree from a Canadian university. The country also allows this permit to students pursuing a minimum of 8-month diploma from any community college, however, the visa tenure is different in such case. Adding to the inflow of Indian students to Canada is the SDS (Study Direct Stream) program introduced last year.

Safety and affordability

While several countries are notorious for racial discrimination, Australia and Canada offer a safe study environment to foreign students. The residents of these countries are kind to foreigners and strongly support cultural diversity. Apart from safety, studying in Australia and Canada is also more affordable as compared to the US, be it in terms of the cost of living, tuition fees etc.

Multitude of courses

Reputed universities in Australia and Canada are famous for offering a vast range of courses. From STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) courses to management programmes, these two countries offer several options to students, basis their personal interest and expertise. Students are also opting for unconventional and specialized areas of study, in addition to popular mainstream courses.

Permanent Residency

In many cases, students continue to stay back and seek employment in Australia and Canada after the completion of their studies, before applying for Permanent Residency. The best part: they don’t have to go through a lot of hassle. The approval process is smooth and takes little time. Canada’s newly reformed Express Entry program has also drastically streamlined the approval process for foreign students looking to seek permanent residency in the country.

These are but some of the reasons behind the growing popularity of Australia and Canada amongst Indian students. These two countries are expected to pull in more students from the country in the near future as well, given their perfect living conditions, affordability, and cultural diversity.