Canada is looking for Mexicans to study and work in the country.

The Canadian government invests close to 6.5 million dollars annually to support its international education strategy.

John Tello was never interested in studying at a Mexican university. When he was about to graduate, he was presented with the opportunity to live an international experience: at a school event, he met an educational travel agency through which he applied to study marketing and advertising at Algonquin College in Ottawa, Canada.

In 2018, she began her study abroad adventure and, within a month, landed a job writing theater reviews at a local theater and posting them on a website. He was paid 25 to 30 Canadian dollars (about 400 to 480 pesos) per text and wrote about 15 reviews a month.

He also started working as a social media manager for the university newspaper. Here he was paid a base salary of 18 Canadian dollars per hour (about 290 pesos). Tello was in charge of managing social media and creating interactive content and events on the student media network.

For the first six months in Canada, she lived in a student residence and later rented an apartment with two roommates. Each paid 400 Canadian dollars (just over 6,400 pesos) a month, including utilities and Internet. Telo said he paid for his housing, education and entertainment out of his own salary.

Last year, before COVID-19 arrived, the young man returned to Mexico. Convinced of the safety, diversity and openness of immigrants in Canada, he decided to return to his former profession. He is currently studying Child and Youth Development at Humber College in Toronto. Because of the pandemic, he started studying online, but he is already packing his bags to travel this year and hopes to find a job soon.

For the Canadian government, international education is a driver of innovation and development. Attracting foreign students, signing bilateral research agreements and enriching classroom learning opportunities remain priorities.

Study and work programs in Canada

Laura Garza, Trade Representative and Head of Academic Affairs at the Canadian Embassy in Beijing, explains that the Canadian government invests C$8 million (approximately US$6.5 million) annually to support its international education strategy.

In 2020, Mexico welcomed 530,540 international students. Mexico is the 11th largest source of international students in Latin America, after Brazil. Canada seeks Mexicans who wish to study and work in one of its provinces, with the possibility of obtaining permanent residency.

For educational programs of at least two years' duration, they can work up to 20 hours per week on a student visa and full-time during vacations. Upon completion of their studies, they can apply for a three-year non-student work permit and obtain permanent residency.

Garza reports that 90% of technical school graduates find employment in Canada, and more than 83% of graduates say their studies were directly related to their work. Canada ranks third in the world in education, first in quality of life and sixth in facilities for entrepreneurs.

However, "compared to other Latin American countries, Canada is aging. Baby boomers are slowly retiring, leaving many jobs behind. Although the birth rate and the number of immigrants are good, it is not enough," says Bruno Perron, president of the Class Education consulting firm and representative of the Canadian government in Mexico.

The country intends to open its doors to 1.2 million immigrants in the coming years as it experiences strong economic growth and is able to create more jobs. The Canadian government has recognized that the education sector is key to strengthening the immigration system.

Studying in Canada during a pandemic

Due to the flu pandemic, Canada closed its borders to all foreigners. Only citizens or permanent residents could enter the country, but they had to stay in hotels while undergoing COVID-19 testing. Thereafter, they were to remain in quarantine. Thereafter, they must be quarantined. Thereafter, they must remain quarantined in their homes for 14 days.