As the result of 2016 U.S. presidential elections and the victory of Donald Trump, an increasing number of American citizens express a vivid interest to study in Canada. Indeed, university admissions offices across Canada report an unprecedented amount of American applicants.
For example, the University of Toronto’s enrolment website received 59% more traffic from computers based in the United States in comparison to the same time last year. The number of U.S. applicants at McGill University has increased by 30%. Even smaller universities of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have seen a sharp surge of applicants from the United States. Although Canadian universities have attracted American students in the past, this huge spike does not appear to be a mere coincidence.
Pursuing your degree in Canada brings multiple advantages. Apart from renowned reputation for strong academics and worldwide recognition, Canada offers significantly lower tuition costs as well as competitive accommodation and living costs in comparison to its other western counterparts. Thus, American students can experience living in another country while economizing on their college expenses and yet being relatively close to home.
Furthermore, obtaining a university degree in Canada offers long-term advantages as well. Namely, Canadian diploma allows students to apply for a post-graduate work permit. This permit is issued upon completion of the study program for up to three years which opens up an opportunity for graduates to freely work for any employer anywhere in Canada. Post-graduate work permit also constitutes an ‘easy’ pathway to Canadian permanent residence. More so, since Canadian government has changed rules regarding Express Entry immigration process that now favours applicants with Canadian high education. In addition, under new changes to Express Entry international students now receive points for having an arranged job offer, giving them an advantage over other applicants in the pool. Thus the program specifically attracts foreign students.
In sum, studying in Canada can be very beneficial for many Americans. U.S. citizens have significant advantages over citizens of many other countries who contemplate this move. First, most of Canada is English-speaking which rewards native English-speaking applicants. Second, Canada offers a unique advantage of affordable and internationally-recognized higher education. And finally, Canadian diploma opens up many other long-term advantages.
