One of Wasi Khan’s fondest memories back home in Hyderabad, India, was playing soccer with his neighbourhood friends; where he played as most of the positions, forward, midfielder and defender. Whichever position was needed, he was it. Khan came to Canada on a student visa during the summer of 2015 and shortly began college in the fall of that year.
With approximately 642,000 international students: Canada ranks 3rd globally in foreign student attraction and Khan was one of the students. The Canadian government research shows that international students contribute nearly $22 billion every year to the economy and help secure over 170,000 jobs.
The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) says that international students choose Canada because of the country’s strong quality of education, as well as being a multicultural and tolerant city. Nearly 60 per cent of international students also say that they hope to become permanent residents of Canada after they complete their education. Ontario is said to have the largest amount of international students in Canada, with nearly 50 per cent studying in the province.
It is said that international students are set to have an even bigger impact on the economy in the decades to come. With over 80 economic class pathways offered by Express Entry, and other federal programs such as the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, as well as the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). These different pathways show the different streams international students can take and may even award extra points to international students. This is because international students who later become permanent residents have a very strong future in Canada.
Khan remembers waking up on April 9th, 2015, during the dark hours of the early morning, getting ready for his flight to Toronto, Canada. His parents had always told him he needs to be at the airport at least 3 hours before the flight’s departure. He was already so nervous entering a completely new country on the opposite side of the world. “I remember I barely got any sleep the night of my flight. I was so nervous coming into a new country and that to just by myself.”
I remember I barely got any sleep the night of my flight. I was so nervous coming into a new country and that to just by myself.
He remembers walking outside his house and taking a final look at the sun, thinking about how he will be on his flight to Toronto by the time the sun rises. The sun and the moon play a big role in his life, as it determines their five daily prayer times.
But what will this mean during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Khan currently works for Lazeez Shawarma after previously completing work with other companies. He’s working as a chef for the moment, with sweat glistening off the lights. His black attire makes him feel hot, he could never come to terms with the weather in Canada. He returns back to making the staple Mediterranean dishes for the customers
Khan was in for a frIght last year when 2 of his roommates tested positive for COVID-19. He was made to stay in a motel in order to keep his roommates and himself safe during the pandemic. He had to order take-out as his room was not equipped with a kitchen. This caused an obvious dent in Khan’s wallet and he worked additional shifts after. The 2 roommates tested negative after the 2 week isolation period and they all returned to their apartment in Scarborough. And Khan, his job.
Khan previously worked for IBM, which is famous for being a multinational technology company. Khans role was a Level 2 Technical Analyst. “I was let go from IBM because my department was completely closed down.” He says if he still had the IBM job his life would be easier. He would have had a full-time permanent job which would make it easier for him to apply for permanent residency in Canada.
Khan tells me how he’s applied to be a permanent resident back in 2019 and has yet to hear anything back from the government. The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the future of international students into uncertainty. The government of Canada website is saying the ability to review and process the numerous applications is being affected by COVID-19, but he had sent his application in well before the pandemic had started.
The website notes that the employees are currently focusing on priority applications like Canadians and permanent residents returning to the country, vulnerable groups, and work permits for people who perform or support essential services.
Shouldn’t they instead be focusing on applications like Wasi’, whose work permit is coming to an end soon?
Khan is currently living the dream by completing his education and working for a well-established franchise. But the thought of his permanent resident application just lying underneath a number of other applications leaves him nervous. As he doesn’t know whether his application is going to get approved or not.
I later talk to a friend of his. “I have never before seen someone fight as hard as he has to become a permanent residence,” says Vinola Arockiadoss. “A lot of my friends are international students, but most of them are rich so they never found it a necessity to work and complete their education at the same time.” Canada may honestly be understating the positive impact that international students have on this country.
His life reminds me of a labyrinth. A place usually constructed of intricate passageways that hides behind a complex labyrinth of tunnels and chambers. The moral lesson learned from entering a labyrinth is quite simple but also complex to a lot of people. Life isn’t fair all the time and sometimes people just need to suck it up and go on. As long as they keep moving forward, the person will get there eventually.
Exactly as Khan waits for his permanent residence, one day he will realize maybe this is what he has to go through to eventually accomplish his wish of becoming a permanent residence of Canada.
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