Role of International Students in Canada's Tech Sector

This paper explores the role of international students in Canada's tech sector, the implications of immigration policy for international students to work in the sector, and the issues faced by the Canadian tech sector due to a lack of international talent.

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Executive Summary
Federal government has repatriated the transfer of settlement finances from the provincial
Government of British Columbia to the national settlement program, with a shift in the way that
organizations serving international students interacted with provincial government. A direct and
collaborative association has been valued by the sector and the way federal supervision for all
proficient and eligible international talent who can be incorporated to the Canadian workforce. It
has been noted that international students generated around $2.9 billion to the BC financial
system through direct and indirect impacts in 2016 and further benefited Canada by contributing
over $15 billion to the overall economy. The paper has offered inclusive insights regarding the
role of international student’s in Canada’s tech sector. Additionally it has shed light on the
implication of immigration policy for international students to work in Canadian tech sector and
issues Canada Tech Sector encountering due to the lack of international talent.

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Discussion........................................................................................................................................3
International Student’s Role in Canada Tech Sector...................................................................3
Role of immigration policy for international students to work in Canadian tech sector.............5
Canadian Tech Sector facing international talent shortage.........................................................6
Government initiatives to include International students............................................................6
International students and wanted proficient workforce.............................................................7
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................8
References......................................................................................................................................11

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Introduction
International education is identified as a key driver of the future prosperity specifically in
the areas of innovation, human capital development and expansion as well as labour market. In
knowledge-driven economy, western countries requires educating highly qualified, proficient
and skilled workforce who can attain their position among the most efficient and highly intellect
individuals. British Columbia has developed as one of the leading technological eco-systems in
Canada as well as the world with a host of successful organizations in information and
communications technology, interactive along with digital media, life sciences, and IT or
engineering services. Canada’s high technological industry primarily comprises (Lo, Li & Yu,
2017). The purpose of the paper is to evaluate the role of international student’s in Canada’s tech
sector. Additionally it will focus on the implication of immigration policy for international
students to work in Canadian tech sector and issues Canada Tech Sector facing due to
international talent shortage.
Discussion
International Student’s Role in Canada Tech Sector
The Technology sector in British Columbia has historically depended on international
students in order to fill gaps in the local talent pool and meet the industries fast growing demands
and needs. Reports of Noe et al. (2017) have revealed that nearly one in three job vacancies in
Canadian tech companies are filled by immigrants. Considering these roles filled with proficient
experience talent individuals in the tech industry is highly critical for the technological
organizations expansion and competitiveness on the international scale. Esmaeilpoorarabi,

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Yigitcanlar and Guaralda (2016) have revealed that the number of immigrants arriving to Canada
has remained stagnant or recently has been experiencing a certain degree of decline regardless of
the increasing demand for international students in the tech sector. According to the reports in
2015, Canada has attracted over 42500 or 15.5% of all international students which has been
estimated as the lowest level observed in the past 25 years (Knight, 2015). However leading
networking agencies have been associated with employers in order to bring international students
to Canada. On the other hand, Calder et al. (2016) have stated that despite the fact that majority
of international students did not obtain a job after completion of the educational programs, most
of them felt as though the decision to remain in Canada in order to work and eventually
immigrate to their home country. Several international students expected to receive enhance job
opportunities which where an accomplished while their expectations regarding an improved
quality of life in Canada where met. According to McGreal, Anderson and Conrad (2015)
international students have proposed that Canadian employers to attain greater level of
undeviating and vigilance while employing students with international experience and view the
benefits of supporting a diverse employee base. Reports of Scott et al. (2015) have mentioned
that Canada immigration policies have been associated with the countries position in the new
global economy which has been characterized by knowledge values information and technology.

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Canada Tech Talent Recruitment Pools
Source: (Verbik, 2015)
Role of immigration policy for international students to work in Canadian tech
sector
The immigration policy of Canada has permitted international students to engage in the
Canadian employment sector while they are involved in educational program and also for 3years
post graduation. These modifications to implement policies have been formulated in order to
increase the qualification and skill level of international students for immigration under the
Canadian experience class. According to Dobuzinskis and Howlett (2018)international students
comprise of specific qualifications skills as well as assets which develop a sense of inclination
towards them for including them in Canadian work force. International students bring a certain
degree of experience knowledge and contacts from their home Nations, the Canadian education
system will help them to acquire greater amount of proficiencies and talent. However, McGreal,
Anderson and Conrad (2015) have stated that policy modifications which encourage

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international students to work in the host country where they study tend to broaden the prospect
of higher level of options.
Furthermore it has been noted that improved opportunities to enter the Canadian
workforce have been linked to extensive decision making procedures regarding whether to
achieve experience and return to home nation or to pursue permanent immigration. At this
juncture, Calder et al. (2016) have claimed that international students encounter decisions which
are highly intricate in nature in comparison to the place where they work, decorate decision
making primarily includes deliberation regarding factors in both home as well as host cultures
which shape their lifestyle preferences as well as reflection regarding a preferred future.
Canadian Tech Sector facing international talent shortage
According to reports of Cerna (2014), the Canadian tech sector primarily comprises three
objectives which need to be made in order to feel the technological workforce gaps in the last 12
years the Canadian text sector has developed by 92% in order to generate over $ 17 billion in
GDP per year.
 Over 8600 additional number of international students who have immigrated to Canada
within the last year have been estimated to arrive in British Columbia will be required by
2021 in order to meet the growing sector demand.
 On the other side over 12500 new entrants who have been identified as graduate students
from British Columbia post secondary institutions will be required by 2021 in order to
meet the demands and needs of the technological sector.
 In addition to this around 9700 career transition hours who have been identified as the up
skilling to transition into technological sector from other sectors along with individuals

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from underrepresented groups that is women, a people with disabilities will be required
by 2021 in a greater number then anticipated in the last few years.
Government initiatives to include International students
According to Esmaeilpoorarabi, Yigitcanlar and Guaralda (2016), the technological
sector in BC has historically depended on immigrants in order to fill gaps in the local talent pool
and for the earth in the industries highly escalating demands and needs. Considering these
grounds several leading employers in Canada have been taking assistance from recognized
recruitment agencies in order to attract international students to Canada through Federal skilled
worker program express entry or the temporary foreign worker program. in addition to this other
immigration approaches to attract international students in the Canadian Technology sector have
relied on post graduate work policies, transferred from multinational organisations along with
international experience Canada. However, Lo, Li and Yu (2017) have claimed that recent
development in Canada visa program have been proposed in order to reduce certain obstacles
and challenges while including the international students to Canada and further help them to
attract specialised global talent in Canada flourishing technological sector. On the other hand as
a significant part of the countries Global skills strategy the Canadian government has introduced
Global skills visa program which has introduced a 2-year pilot project in 2017 chiefly outlined in
a structure which would facilitate increase growth and flourishing organisations in order to bring
in huge number of international students within 2 weeks other than up to a year (Cerna, 2014).
International students and preferred proficient workforce
From a global perspective, international students have been considered to be highly
attractive and resourceful on several important grounds. Calder et al. (2016) have noted that in

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most economically developed nations the birth rate has been declining along with an ageing
population which further has been opening significant every news for the skilled proficient
young employees who have the ability to fill the vacated positions in the Canadian Technology
sector. However, filling such positions international students have increased the country’s with
full of highly proficient employees by efficiently supporting economic growth and development
(Noe et al., 2017).. As a result international students have the capacity to bring expertise in
relation to the employment practices and values as well as principles for their homes nations and
further acquire important local experience. Thus, international students who have been gaining
education at the local institutions may be highly inclined towards organisations in comparison to
those who have foreign education but at the same time lack local experience.
However on the other hand, increased initiatives to hire international students and
changes in Canadian immigration policies have implications for global students’ immediate and
direct long term career decisions. Jones (2014) has noted that some international students may
have to desire to study overseas with the purpose of returning to the home countries with skills
which will be profitable in the market. Meanwhile, according to Heitor (2015), other
international students may be set on remaining in the host country in order to attain significant
foreign work experience and proficiency and further establish International relationships in the
host culture and language. Drawing relevance to these factors, Esmaeilpoorarabi, Yigitcanlar and
Guaralda (2016)have emphasized on the Canadian tech Association who has introduced the tech
base which is a database with an interactive dashboard that displays data and information
regarding over 3000 of the provinces technology employers. The tool displays recent and up-to-
date financing and acquisition performance and further facilitates its users to determine
information regarding organizations by growth, tech sub sector as well as the size of the labour

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force. The immigrant employment Council of BC (IEC-BC) has efficiency developed creative
tools as well as resources in order to enable organizations to avail the untargeted talent pool and
further establish diverse as well as inclusive workplace in Canada (Calder et al., 2016).
Conclusion
Therefore from the above discussion it can be concluded that International students have
been recognized as an integral part of the burgeoning relationship between Canadian universities
and Canadian organizations. Furthermore companies have recently developed this feeling that
International students must obtain adequate understanding and awareness of the realities of being
engaged in the Canadian work force before arriving to the host nation for employment services.
On the other hand, employees must strongly support the knowledge development of international
students regarding efficiently receiving proper workplace cultural patterns, values, standards and
employer needs before coming to the host nation. Without gathering adequate inclusive insights
of the way Canadian businesses operate international students have lower propensity to meet
their career goals.

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References
Calder, M. J., Richter, S., Mao, Y., Kovacs Burns, K., Mogale, R. S., & Danko, M. (2016).
International Students Attending Canadian Universities: Their Experiences with Housing,
Finances, and Other Issues. Canadian Journal of higher education, 46(2), 92-110.
Cerna, L. (2014). Attracting High‐Skilled Immigrants: Policies in Comparative
Perspective. International Migration, 52(3), 69-84.
Dobuzinskis, L., & Howlett, M. (Eds.). (2018). Policy analysis in Canada. Policy Press.
Esmaeilpoorarabi, N., Yigitcanlar, T., & Guaralda, M. (2016). Towards an urban quality
framework: Determining critical measures for different geographical scales to attract and
retain talent in cities. International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development, 7(3), 290-
312.
Heitor, M. (2015). How university global partnerships may facilitate a new era of international
affairs and foster political and economic relations. Technological Forecasting and Social
Change, 95, 276-293.
Jones, G. A. (2014). An introduction to higher education in Canada. Higher education across
nations, 1, 1-38.
Knight, J. (2015). Internationalization: Unintended Consequences?. International Higher
Education, (54).
Lo, L., Li, W., & Yu, W. (2017). Highly‐skilled Migration from China and India to Canada and
the United States. International Migration.

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McGreal, R., Anderson, T., & Conrad, D. (2015). Open educational resources in Canada
2015. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 16(5).
Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. M. (2017). Human resource
management: Gaining a competitive advantage. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
Education.
Scott, C., Safdar, S., Desai Trilokekar, R., & El Masri, A. (2015). International Students as ‘Ideal
Immigrants’ in Canada: A disconnect between policy makers’ assumptions and the lived
experiences of international students. Comparative and International
Education/Éducation comparée et internationale, 43(3), 5.
Verbik, L. (2015). The international branch campus: Models and trends. International Higher
Education, (46).