Submission to the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration on attracting and empowering global talent to strengthen Canada’s economy

International education is already a major economic and strategic asset for Canada. It contributes more than $39 billion to Canada’s GDP, supports over 400,000 jobs, strengthens research and innovation and helps build the highly skilled and adaptable workforce needed to support Canada’s long-term economic growth, productivity and competitiveness. These strengths are significant, but right now they are not being fully leveraged as part of a coordinated economic, trade and talent strategy.

Meanwhile, global competition for talent is intensifying, with competitor countries moving aggressively to attract and retain students and skilled graduates through faster processing, clearer pathways and more predictable systems. Canada’s reputation as a top destination for talent and investment has long been a competitive advantage, but that advantage cannot be taken for granted. We need a coordinated and predictable approach that strengthens public confidence in our system and supports economic priorities while preserving our position in global talent and research.

In our submission, Universities Canada recommends that the federal government:

1. Modernize Canada’s International Education Strategy into a comprehensive International Higher Education Talent, Research and Innovation Strategy aligned across Global Affairs Canada, IRCC, ESDC and ISED to support Canada’s trade, workforce and innovation priorities.
2. Improve the performance and predictability of Canada’s mobility and visa systems through a phased, risk-informed approach that supports university students, researchers and highly skilled talent, rebuilds confidence in the Canada brand and maintains program integrity.
3. Support targeted bilateral talent, research and innovation partnerships aligned with Canada’s trade and economic priorities, including opportunities that strengthen linguistic duality and access to bilingual talent.
4. Expand and build upon programs that allow for targeted attraction of top talent such as the Global Skills Strategy.

International education is key to attracting, developing and retaining top talent in Canada. It is not only a pathway for students to study in Canada, it also supports trade diversification, research collaboration, talent attraction, innovation and long-term relationships with priority partners.

At a time of shifting global alliances, rising economic uncertainty and intensifying competition for talent, these strengths matter more than ever. Countries that can attract, develop and retain global talent will be better positioned to grow their economies, advance research and innovation, build resilient supply chains and respond to shared challenges in areas such as climate change, artificial intelligence, health, energy and security.