D ear Mr Brown,

What happens if the private school that I am attending shuts down? Does it mean that I have to return to Jamaica? I hear that the school is having financial difficulties because of the pandemic and a lot of study permit refusals. I have also heard of other schools closing recently.

– PM

Dear PM:

The higher potential of filing for bankruptcy protection is one of the risks of an international student attending a private school. That is the reason I have stated that the best strategy for education in Canada is to attend a publicly funded (government) college or university. This would ensure that the school is properly regulated with regards to quality education and admission standards, as well as better financial protection.

Attending a private school can be risky because although the tuition fees may be lower and admission is much easier, their promises of guaranteed jobs for students, scholarships and high-quality education may never be fulfilled. The owners of the private schools benefit financially from these practices. The nature of public schools (higher standards of admission and quality education) would avoid these potential risks entirely. Canada’s public education system has the highest quality the world. The public school route offers a much smoother and predictable transition.

Bankruptcy

A private career college’s registration can be revoked if the regulator is no longer satisfied that it can be expected to be financially responsible in its operation as a private career college, considering its current financial position. Should a private school become bankrupt, international students are faced with spending more time and money scrambling to find new designated learning institutions (DLIs) to attend and potentially finding new living accommodations.

For example, recently, three private colleges in Quebec filed for creditor protection, adding to the uncertainty for hundreds of international students who had already been seeking tuition refunds. The request for creditor protection comes a little more than a year after the province suspended 10 private colleges for what it described as “questionable” recruitment practices for students in India.

The suspension meant the schools were temporarily prevented from accepting certain foreign-student applications. Quebec’s investigation into the 10 colleges revealed shortcomings around recruitment, commercial practices, governance and teaching conditions.

Laurentian University’s seeking creditor protection is the only time that a publicly funded university had sought such creditor protection (not bankruptcy) in Canada in 2021. However, publicly funded universities can request an emergency loan if an independent third-party review of the university’s finances is complete.

Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) programme

A PGWP is a document issued by the Government of Canada, to eligible foreign students, which allows the bearer to work legally in Canada after completing studies. The overall requirement is for a foreign student to graduate from an approved programme of study at an eligible post-secondary institution in Canada that is participating in the Post-Graduation Work Permit programme.

In general, publicly funded DLIs make one eligible for a PGWP. However, only certain types of private schools will make one eligible for a PGWP.

Foreign students in Canada are eligible for a work permit for post-graduation employment only if they have engaged in full-time studies for at least eight months at:

1. A public, post-secondary institution, such as a college, trade/technical school, university or CEGEP (in Quebec)

2. A private, post-secondary institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as public institutions

3. A private secondary or post-secondary institution (in Quebec) offering qualifying programmes of 900 hours or longer and leading to a diplôme d’études professionnelles (DEP) or an attestation de spécialisation professionnelle (ASP)

4. A Canadian private institution authorised by provincial statute to confer degrees, but only if the student is enrolled in one of the programmes of study leading to a degree as authorised by the province, and not in all programmes of study offered by the private institution.

Conestoga College seminar

Conestoga College is one of Canada’s top destinations. As the local agent of Conestoga, I will be hosting an online seminar on February 24, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. It is open to the general public. Along with a Conestoga representative, we will be discussing educational programmes as well as study permits, work permits and applying for permanent residence. Instructions for registration for the seminar are found on my website under the “Contact” section.

Please visit JAMAICA2CANADA.COM for additional information on Canadian Permanent Residence programs, including Express Entry, The Study & Work program, Visas or Appeals, etc.

Antonn Brown, BA, (Hons), LLB, MSc, RCIC, is an immigration counsel and an accredited Canadian education agent of JAMAICA2CANADA.COM—a Canadian immigration & education firm in Kingston. Send questions/comments to documents.jamaica2canada@gmail.com