Migration of Nigerians to Canada for Higher Education: Student Visa as a Pathway to Permanent Residence
Abstract
This study investigates the motivation for Nigerian migration to Canada for undergraduate education, with a focus on parent-sponsored undergraduate Nigerian students in Canadian universities. The study shows that middle-class and upper-class Nigerians send their children to Canadian universities for undergraduate education because the student visa provides employment opportunities for international students, during and after studies, and Canadian permanent residence upon graduation. It is demonstrated in the paper that migration for higher education fits the neoliberal agenda of the current Canadian immigration policies and practices that target “designer im/migrants,” that is, im/migrants that are young, skilled, highly productive, educated, and self-sufficient. It is claimed throughout the paper that migration for higher education is not fortuitous for the parents and their children and the Canadian state, as higher tuition paid by international students augments the declining public funding of post-secondary institutions in Canada and avails international students the opportunity of employment and permanent residence in Canada. The study in essence reveals the contradiction in the claim that the neoliberal state is a neutral entity as evidence shows that Canada’s post-secondary institutions implement neoliberal programs with the aid of the Canadian state.
Notes
Community organizations
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Gaps identified
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Key recommendations
NA
Key findings
Opportunity for employment in Canada and permanent residence is a key motivation for family sponsorship of their children’s undergraduate education in Canada. There is little interest expressed by the students and their parents about returning to Nigeria in the near or distant future to contribute to the growth and development of Nigeria. Nigerian parents believe that an acquisition of Canadian permanent residence by their children will guarantee them some certitude in an uncertain Nigerian environment.
Location
NA
Key populations
Nigerian parents who have sent their children to Canada; Nigerian students
Integration timeline
At what point during the integration process the study was conducted?
NA
Open-access – No