Canada’s impeccable reputation as a tolerant and safe country and its high-quality education attracts many foreign students to its shores every year. Canada also offers a large number of job opportunities which makes the country all the more attractive to international students.
Canada also has some of the most well-known Universities in the world. 26 Canadian Universities featured in the QS World University Rankings 2019. Also, Canadian degrees are recognized all over the world.
Ontario is the most popular province in Canada among international students. Ontario houses nearly 307,000 international students accounting for nearly 50% of all the international student population in Canada.
British Columbia is another popular province among foreign students in Canada. There are nearly 145,000 international students in British Columbia accounting for almost 23% of the international student population.
Quebec is the third most popular province in Canada with nearly 87,000 accounting for 14% of the foreign student population.
Manitoba and Nova Scotia also have a high number of international students.
If you too are interested in studying in Canada, here are the best cities for international students:
- Montreal
Montreal, also known as the cultural capital of Canada, ranks 6th in the QS Best Student Cities 2019. Montreal is a prominent city in the province of Quebec. It is home to many top Universities in Canada like the University of Montreal and McGill University. Montreal is well known for its low cost of living and affordable housing. In fact, housing costs in Montreal are half of what it would cost you in other big cities of Europe and North America.
- Toronto
Toronto, the capital of Ontario, ranks 11th in the QS Best Student Cities 2019. Toronto also scored high on the QS rankings for desirability. Only Tokyo and Sydney scored more on desirability than Toronto. The University of Toronto in Toronto is the highest-ranked University in Canada and ranks 29th in the world. Toronto is also well known for tourist hotspots like the CN Tower and the Royal Ontario Museum.
- Vancouver
Vancouver ranks 16th on the list of QS Best Student Cities 2019. Vancouver is a favourite among international students as it is not as cold as the rest of Canada. Vancouver is known for its warmer climate and pleasant rainy weather. Vancouver houses Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia. Both these Universities feature among the best Universities in the QS World University Rankings 2020. Vancouver is also a very popular tourist spot. Some popular tourist attractions in Vancouver are Stanley Park, Capilano Suspension Bridge, and the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
- Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. Ottawa ranks 45th in the best student cities list of the QS Best Student Cities 2019. Ottawa is regarded as the safest city in Canada, which makes it immensely popular among international students. Residents in Ottawa speak multiple languages, mainly English and French among others. Being the capital city, Ottawa hosts the biggest Canada Day party every year on 1st July. It is also home to the world’s largest skating rink, the Rideau Canal Skateway.
Are you also interested in studying in Canada? Then you must consider studying in the above cities. Studying in Canada has several advantages. One of the main advantages is the easy transition to Canadian Permanent Residency.
International students in Canada get an edge over other applicants when applying for the Canada PR Visa Process. Canadian education and work experience can get you valuable points which can come very handy when applying for the Canada PR Visa.
International students can choose between the Express Entry Program and the Provincial Nominee Program when applying for a Canada PR Visa. Every province in Canada runs its own Provincial Nominee Program as per the skill needs of the province. Almost every PNP has a category for international students who have completed their education from that province. Applying under the International Graduate category of the PNP can help you transition to Permanent Residency of Canada.
Even in the Express Entry Program, international students stand at an advantage. The Express Entry Program awards points to all eligible applicants on the basis of the Comprehensive Ranking System. The Comprehensive Ranking System awards extra points both for Canadian education and Canadian work experience. Studying in Canada can help you increase your CRS score due to these additional points. You can easily check out your CRS score with a CRS calculator.
Canada also has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world. This means that international students can get a plethora of opportunities to build a successful career in Canada. Canada is especially popular among tech graduates due to its emerging technology market.