CASA believes that international students are invaluable members of post-secondary communities. They directly contribute billions of dollars to the Canadian economy, and as highly skilled and educated individuals, many go on to become contributing members of the Canadian workforce across all sectors of the economy. They enrich dialogues on campus, offer essential cross-cultural perspectives, and encourage a wider awareness of pressing national and international issues. CASA would like to see concrete actions designed to ensure that international students experience a truly high quality education in a welcoming and inclusive environment.

CASA holds the following core beliefs about the international student experience in Canada:

• International students add immeasurably to the campus experience of all students and to the quality of post-secondary education in Canada
• International students contribute value to the Canadian economy and to Canada’s diversity and culture as a whole
• International students should be encouraged, supported and valued throughout their studies in Canada and should receive the highest quality educational experience possible
• Supports should be available to ensure that qualified international students from diverse economic backgrounds can study in Canada  
• The procedures, paperwork and forms required to study in Canada should be consistent, accessible and straightforward to navigate

As potential permanent residents and citizens, post-secondary institutions and governments in Canada must fully value the skills and experiences international students bring to Canada, and gain while studying in Canada.

To learn more, read CASA's policy paper. It is available in a PDF format, as well as an accessible Word format. Want to do more? Sign our petition to help support international students -->