Migration boom: Filipinos studying in Canada up by 50% in 2023

MANILA, Philippines — More Filipinos are arriving in Canada by droves to further their education there with nearly 49,000 Filipinos holding Canadian study permits in 2023, an increase of around 50% from the previous year.

This makes the Philippines the third largest foreign student population in Canada in 2023, second to China (102,000) and India (427,000), according to data collected by ApplyBoard, a Canada-based technology platform for international student mobility.

In 2022, around 24,000 Filipinos had permits to study in Canada — up from 13,000 in 2021 and 5,000 in 2019. 

This also means that from 2019 to 2023, the number of Filipinos pursuing education in Canada has increased ten-fold — a trend that is in step with the overall surge of international students in the ninth largest economy in the world, based on ApplyBoard’s data. 

“Strong growth in Alberta and Saskatchewan made the Prairies provinces the fastest-growing destinations for Filipino students in Canada over the past year,” ApplyBoard said.

Last year saw the greatest spike in Filipino student applicants in Canada, according to ApplyBoard.

Demand primarily comes from working-age adults, “with many hoping to relocate their families as well,” ApplyBoard said in a 2022 report. 

“In 2022, the average age of Filipino students applying to study in Canada through the ApplyBoard platform was 31,” the education technology company said.

“With more mature Filipino students coming to study in Canada, there has been a noticeable rise in Filipino students bringing their children to Canada, resulting in an increase in primary and secondary enrollment numbers,” ApplyBoard added.

The education technology company said that the number of new international students may dip in 2024 due to policies introduced by the Canadian government in January limiting its acceptance of overseas students.

“The federal government intends to process no more than 606,250 applications for 2024, which is expected to limit the number of new student visa approvals to about 360,000 in 2024—a reduction of 35% compared to 2023,” the education technology firm said.

ApplyBoard added that study permits will be allocated based on each Canadian province’s population, which means that applicants should start exploring education opportunities in “diverse locations” within Canada. — Cristina Chi