The Canadian government made an update to the directory of authorized Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs). The index consists of the institutions which are allowed to board international students during the Coronavirus outbreak.
A DLI can be a school, college, or university that has a permit to admit international students. The Canadian government had put restrictions on unnecessary travel to stop the COVID-19 spread.
The restriction hit the new foreign students in the beginning. Only those students were allowed to enter Canada who had a study permit or approval with the issuance date of March 18 or earlier. Right now, the country is relaxing the restriction so that newcomers can pursue their studies in Canada.
The institutions that are planning to host the newcomers will have to get an approved COVID-19 readiness plan from their respective provinces or territory.
The individuals who have got admission to any DLI are exempt from the travel restrictions. Upon arrival, the students will likely be welcomed into the country by a border official.
The list has been updated with major Ontario-based universities like the University of Waterloo Ryerson University, and the University of Windsor. The list consists of OCAD University as well.
It is mandated for everyone who is arriving in Canada to quarantine themselves for 14 days, including international students. That means that the individual has to stay inside of their residence or will have to face a hefty fine.
Furthermore, the people going to Canada, especially by air, should have the ArriveCAN mobile application on their phones. The person will have to submit travel and contact details, their quarantine information, and regular symptoms self-assessment.
Regarding the quarantine details, the traveler will have to share the residence information and plan about buying the basic needs items such as groceries and medicines.
A decrease in international enrollment
Many universities in Canada have witnessed a huge increase in domestic admissions and a drop in international applications. The data was provided by Course Compare, a website that helps students find course and training programs.
There were a few exceptions in the data, such as UBC Okanagan witnessed a 9 percent spike in international students’ enrolments. However, in total, the study by Course Compare showed that there was a 9 percent drop in international student enrolment across Canada. The information is backed by data provided by over 50 institutions in Canada.
One of the reasons for the drop could be that many universities and colleges are intending to stretch their online classes to the next year. The international students, who pay hefty fees, might not consider this option and could be waiting for the regular on-campus education model.
Furthermore, international students are mostly enrolled in courses that are more practical. The programs such as nursing, acting, and lab-dependent ones like electrical engineering and filmmaking require practical hands-on and are very difficult to teach online. Therefore these programs are the most negatively affected. An on-campus presentation following the COVID-19 precautions could be an option. Whereas, in a few cases, the courses should be discontinued for a while.
Universities and colleges in Atlantic Canada, Quebec, and BC witnessed a huge spike in domestic enrolments; however, this could be down to huge unemployment levels as many of the students are adult learners.
