The role that international students play in the Canadian economy is one that cannot be looked over.
The 640,000 international students in addition to creating a diverse and wholistic learning
environment, contribute some $22 billion to the economy each year which supports around 200,000
Canadian jobs.
Recognizing that difficulties that international students face during COVID-19, Canada has
announced a variety of special measures to help the international students already in the country,
and those who hope to come into the country soon. The following are the latest updates concerning
international students:
Implied status
Current and Post-Graduation Work Permit holding international students who wish to extend their
stay in Canada during the coronavirus impact may be eligible for implied status. Implied status
provides international students the chance to continue their studies and/or work while Immigration,
Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reviews their work/study permit extension application
Working hours
IRCC has temporarily allowed international students to work more than the previously allowed 20
hours if they are working in 10 priority sectors. This rule holds water until August 31. These 10
sectors are:

 Energy and utilities
 Information and Communication Technologies
 Finance
 Health
 Food
 Water
 Transportation
 Safety
 Government
 Manufacturing

CERB

The federal government provides income support through the Canada Emergency Response Benefit
(CERB) which offers $500 per week for up to 16 weeks to eligible workers whose lives have been
disrupted by the pandemic. International students who qualify for the requirements may receive the
benefits.

PR pathways

Since the start of the coronavirus crisis, both levels of government have issued more invitations to
apply for permanent residence to those with Canadian experience due to the high levels of
education and linguistic proficiencies that international students bring with them to the Canadian
economy.

More time to submit immigration applications

IRCC understands the impact that COVID-19 might have had on the abilities of immigration
applications. IRCC announced that it will not turn incomplete applications and that they will provide
an additional 90 days to complete the application considering the COVID-19 pandemic.

PGWP

The Post-Graduation Work Permit helps international students gain Canadian work experience.
International students have no need for concern with regards to their PGWP since IRCC has
announced that students who were slotted for a study permit to begin their Canadian education in
May or June will be able to begin their program online without affecting their eligibility to eventually
apply for a PGWP. The same applies to international students already in Canada.

More support for international students on the way

Canadian response to the pandemic situation has surpassed that even of the United States. It has
done more than what anyone could have expected when compared with other countries. The care
and concern that the government has shown to accommodate its foreign nationals have helped
cement Canada’s status as a truly inclusive and diverse country made up of a cultural mosaic.
Considering the current trends, it is highly probable that more help would be coming for international
students.

As the window of international travel keeps on shrinking, now may be the best time to get back home while you still have a chance.

Feeling the heat of the widespread number of cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, the federal government is now earnestly persuading Canadians to get back to Canada while it is still possible as the noose on travel bans across the globe gets tighter. Markedly, Canadians who are presently in Europe face hardships trying to come back as a big chunk of scheduled flights have now been canceled ahead of the impending border closures in many EU countries.

“Airlines have canceled flights. New restrictions may be imposed with little warning. Your travel plans may be severely disrupted and you may be forced to remain outside of Canada longer than expected,” the ministry of Global Affairs Canada said in a statement.

A quintessential example of this struggle can be seen in Poland where the media mentions next to nothing on how foreigners can get back home while driving home the message that all Polish people need to come back.

Ontario has shaped up to be the national outbreak’s epicenter as a total of 22 new cases were reported last Saturday, of which 6 are linked to travel outside Canada. The official national tally in Canada is 225 as of today. New cases were confirmed elsewhere in the country, bringing the official national tally to 225.

Premier Francois Legault of Quebec has requested residents over the age of 70 to remain at home until further notice. Also, restrictions regarding visiting senior’s residences and long-term care facilities have been stepped up in an effort to quell the outbreak. All but “essential” visitors which include relatives of those drawing their last breaths or severely ill or caregivers of sick youths shall be exempted.

As the national tally of cases keeps piling up, businesses and sports organizations are going out of their way to take steps which can only be described as an “abundance of caution” in an effort to curb the spread while meeting minimal losses.

Even though the situation looks grim now, Canadian public health officials are of the belief that the risk to the public remains low if they rigorously wash their hands and implement social distancing.

In spite of that, for the exclusive some, such as Canadians aged 65 and over with compromised immune systems along with pre-existing health conditions, the virus could exacerbate things.

Out of the total number of Canadian cases diagnosed with the illness so far, it may be comforting to know that only 15 % have required hospitalization.

As of now, the Parliament remains suspended till April 20^th and in certain cities, schools, colleges, and universities remain closed until further notice. Stay tuned for further updates.

The announcement came within a few days after Delhi witnessed widespread riot and furor against the newly implemented Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) along with a crackdown on Jammu & Kashmir that led to unchecked violence and blood-soaked streets as a result of Hindu-Muslim conflicts thanks to the Hindu nationalist frenzy evoked and stoked by Narendra Modi’s claptrap.

In what could only be described as the worst religious act India has seen in decades, the recent policy championed by BJP (the ruling party in India which advocates extreme Hindu nationalist notions) mainly bases religion as the test of true citizenship. This bill, while claiming to help non-Muslims who have fled from Muslim-dominated neighboring countries fearing persecution on the surface, blatantly targets and discriminates against Muslims which violates the most secular tenets of its constitution.

Police officials have been issued shoot-at-sight orders if that’s what it takes to quell the uprising and communal discord in certain parts of North East Delhi.

To further add salt to injury, the Indian government has also put Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which is a curfew that forbids gatherings of more than four people in various areas. What this means is that even marriages and funerals can’t be foreseen if there are more than 4 people. Also, it is expected that network connectivity would be partially or fully cut in volatile regions to impede the spread of communal hatred. Public places that would be on high alert include airports, places of worship, public transport hubs, government buildings as well as schools.

A map of India showing areas with political  unrest

In face of such imminent threats to its citizens who plan to visit India, the Canadian Government has issued a high degree of caution towards the states of Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Assam other nearby states. As of now, Canada has marked the ongoing pandemonium in India as “risk towards civil disorder and acts of terrorism”. The official number of deaths was 38 last week, a number that has since continued to swell.

Fears of Coronavirus in India

While India has remained relatively unscathed despite being in close proximity to China ( the assumed epicenter of the virus), three new cases of the virus have been reported including that of a 69 year old Italian national in the state of Jaipur. The first reported cases of the deadly virus in India were from the southern state of Kerala, which had managed to contain the outbreak and successfully discharge the infected patients. It remains to be seen whether the rest of India can limit the number of infected people to the aforementioned as it grapples with religious discrimination and political unrest on the side.

With a potential travel ban hanging in the balance if the situation gets exacerbated, it is advised that for now, any non-essential plans to travel to India would have to be temporarily shelved. This alert had been issued last Friday.