Eye-opening: Canadians Underestimate The Survival Of International Students?

A recent poll indicates that the Canadian government likely needs to be more accurate about the cost of living for international students when determining whether they can support themselves financially.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's projected living expenses utilized throughout the application process are close to half of what an average student in Toronto spends, according to a recent poll by the Daily Bread food bank published on Wednesday.

International study permit applicants must provide "proof of financial support." They must, therefore, demonstrate their ability to support themselves in Canada.

A Shocking Fact: Canadians Underestimate The Chance Of International Students Surviving?

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Applicants must demonstrate that they have $10,000, or $833 per month, to cover their living expenses and tuition.

The applicant must also demonstrate an additional $4,000 or $333 monthly to bring a family member.

They must provide $3,000, or $255 per month, for each extra family member.

Daily Bread polled 180 international students who frequently use four main food banks in Toronto, yet the results must accurately reflect many students' situations.

Contrarily, the survey respondents reported paying an average of $1,517 per month on living expenses, excluding tuition, which is nearly twice what the Canadian government promoted as the cost of living, according to the study report.

The piece continued, "Respondents remarked that Canada was significantly more expensive than they anticipated, particularly about accommodation and food, when asked how their experience in Canada compared to what they expected.

"This is not surprising," the report said, "given that rents in Toronto increased by 29% in 2022 for vacant units and that food inflation was at 9.1% from June 2022 to June 2023."

In 2015 Report Claimed Government Need To Revise The Assessment

The report also claimed that since 2015, the government still needs to revise its assessment of the cost of living for students from outside.

"The financial requirements for a study permit application are not based on one static figure," an IRCC spokeswoman told Global News.

The student's proof of financial support must include the precise tuition prices, return travel costs for the student and any accompanying family members, and living expenses for the student and any accompanying family members.

The spokesman should have specified when the $10,000 proof of finances requirement for international students was most recently updated.

We surveyed 180 food bank clients who are international students, according to Talia Bronstein, Daily Bread's vice president of research and advocacy.

And we discovered their expectations and the reality of living in Canada were at odds.

According to the study, while all students face the danger of food insecurity, international students are three times more likely to experience it than domestic students due to their high living expenses and expensive tuition.

The Possibility Of Food Insecurity For Domestic Students

The expense of living and rent increased too quickly for one survey respondent to be able to keep up with, according to a comment from the report.

According to Bronstein, "We examined outside literature and discovered that there is undeniable evidence that overseas students are more likely than domestic students to experience food insecurity. However, we also understand that compared to the general community, all college and post-secondary students are more likely to experience food insecurity.

The average undergraduate tuition in Ontario is $7,920, whereas the intermediate education for out-of-country students is $40,525. Even if the disparity between Ontario and the rest of the country is greater, the numbers are quite similar.

In Canada, the average undergraduate domestic student spent $6,872 in tuition, while the average international student paid $35,836.

While the poll respondents were from and around Toronto, according to Bronstein, the rising cost of living and expensive tuition across Canada suggest that this may be a national issue.

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Difficulties Students Are Facing

The report also mentioned how difficult it was for students to locate a safe and reasonably priced residence.

The survey suggested that the lack of a Canadian credit score or overall housing market prejudice against post-secondary students may cause landlords to be less eager to rent to overseas students.

It also mentioned that many individuals found employment more difficult than expected. 61% of students made between $15.50 (the federal minimum wage) and $18.50 per hour.

About 17% of respondents claimed to make less than the minimum wage.

As well as colleges and universities, the report includes suggestions to all three tiers of government.

It requests that Ottawa evaluate and revise the amount of money that students must have available for monthly costs and permanently raise the number of hours overseas students can work off-campus.

It urged colleges and institutions to do more to help overseas students find accommodation and jobs on campus. Even the City of Toronto was encouraged to reduce the cost of public transportation for college students.

However, according to Bronstein, the province received the most significant recommendation.

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Ontario Government Gives Supports

According to her, the most crucial recommendation is that Ontario's government increase support for colleges and universities.

"We receive the lowest per capita domestic student support from the government among all the provinces, and that truly demonstrates that colleges are using overseas students to pay for local students, says the student.

And that's not a fair approach to managing a facility.

According to Bronstein, food banks play a critical part in the fight against hunger, but they cannot serve as a long-term fix.

"As a solution, we must look beyond food banks. We must consider the options for addressing it through public policy.

The three areas we should priorities are excellent employment, affordable housing, and income support.

What do you think about it? Do let us know in the comments.

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