In the past few years, the number of international students has ballooned at a rapid pace such that they now comprise a significant portion of the temporary resident population in Canada. In the latest report of the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Marco Mendicino to Parliament, he stated that as of December 31, 2018, there were more than 721,000 international study permit holders in Canada, or more than double the number of permanent residents (321,035) admitted that year. Easing Work Restrictions At this time of COVID-19 pandemic therefore, it comes as no surprise that international students are among those hardest hit by the ongoing lockdowns and their economic consequences. Since international student fees are often double or triple the domestic tuition fee rates, one can only imagine the enormous investment that these international students have made to finance their studies and living expenses in Canada. Hence, it is a great help th
Filipiniana News - March 2020 About a month ago, the coronavirus fears focused on the Chinese based on the fact that the first reported cases originated from Wuhan, China. Now, the disease referred to as COVID-19 has been labeled a pandemic by the World Health Organization because it has affected almost every nation on the planet. The very rapid acceleration of COVID-19 cases worldwide has made people realize that this is indeed an international problem and cannot be blamed on a single country or ethnicity. The ensuing lockdowns and travel restrictions imposed by various countries in efforts to prevent further spread of the virus will no doubt have a significant impact on immigration rules, in the near or distant future. For those who might be trapped in Canada amidst the growing travel restrictions by other countries, it might help to revisit the Canadian immigration rules with respect to temporary residents. Legal temporary residents of Canada are those who h