CBC is actually responding. I wrote an email with regards to our sentiments. I hope other will send their email too. Maybe someone can better explain our situation. I also add the link of this forum for them to read our threads.
Ircc is making students depressed
- Thread starter Capricorn11
- Start date
CBC is actually responding. I wrote an email with regards to our sentiments. I hope other will send their email too. Maybe someone can better explain our situation. I also add the link of this forum for them to read our threads.
Thanks for making an effort, even if we don't get our decisions on time, atleast it would bring someone to shame that a lot of students specifically from the Middle East and South Asia are being treated as second class citizens except obviously India (dont tell me they have embassies, they process 10x times more apllications than other countries and smashing decisions on rapid fire)
Idk where you are from but please mention the plight of students specifically from South Asia and Middle East or if you want to be specific you can also mention lazy offices where your file is being processed to expedite our processing, at this moment we just need decisions! tell them before your colleges go bankrupt get us our money back so we could invest it elsewhere, enough of using float to their advantage, hopefully they earned enough interest to feed their bellies.
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I get what you're saying. But, we are not asking for any rights here. We are neither criticising citizens' rights to enter / return back to their own country. We perfectly know that we are nobody to do that.
The issue is with the round-trip world tours, vacations, tourism, entertainment-related travel that they are making, which I guess doesn't lead to increase in Covid cases there (?).
This, coupled with a complete lack of any information or clarity regarding our entire lives. It is public information that Covid is here to stay till at least 2022. Nobody deserves to be kept in such uncertainty and confusion after having highly qualified in a meritocratic set-up, in my opinion. The never-ending question mark slapped onto us is also NOT right. If they do not want to entertain any more international students, then that's fine, but better be clear and say no more student entry till 2023.
Also, I think it's important to voice out concerns to IRCC. We aren't asking for clarity with the intention of exerting any pressure. It's only to advocate for our lives, and I don't think asking for some clarity is such a big mistake. Further, if international students have to absolutely trade their entire physical and mental health in exchange for studies, I do think there'll be a decline in the numbers who want to enroll. I understand that it's difficult being a student during normal times, but right now, the situation is unprecedented and disastrous. Quality of life deteriorates so much so that there's no point in putting up the struggle anymore. It's been 6 months of confusion now for us. It's not as if students will take anything in exchange for studying abroad. Example: many students are now deferring to the January term despite getting an Approval in Principle for September. Some even posted they'll have to keep deferring till they get a full approval. This is quite telling, and it somewhere makes sense since IRCC has gone back on their own exemption of those who were fully approved before March 18th, by introducing the "essential" condition.
I respect your views on how students need to toughen up and put up with the uncertainty. We are doing that. And we have reached here only due to resilience till now. It's just that there are thousands of families and people who need some kind of clarity from them now. Just because we are outsiders, we shouldn't be denied the opportunity to even ask questions and clear the confusion that prevails now. Like always, there's this other side of the coin as well. But I sincerely thank you for your empathy and kind words.
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I understand that it's a dog-eat-dog world. I also understand that nobody is responsible if our lives & careers get destroyed during this pandemic. But it's also basic human instinct to try to save oneself in times of extreme distress. We are doing exactly that - trying to get more information on what exactly the guidelines are, what exact requirements we need to fulfill to be allowed inside, when we can expect some clarity about all this, etc. Right now, everything's a mess. I wish people don't assume that we are blaming them in asking for more information during these times of extreme chaos and confusion. That's misinterpreting our intentions and efforts to save whatever little we can for ourselves during these dire times.
Hey! Thanks for the reply! Could you please tell whether all these students travelling by Air India have the "travel support letter" from the institution that says their "presence is mandatory" ?
I agree. It's all very confusing right now. I seriously hope there is some clarity from their end about travel and entry ASAP.
But did you get to know anything about whether all of them could get in easily through the border there? I mean, what were the students asked to prove the "essential travel" condition? Did they have online classes? Thanks a lot again!
Yes, but the key difference is someone who can enter Canada as a right and someone who can enter Canada as a privilege. That's really it in a nutshell.
Pardon my ignorance, but where is the uncertainty? I'm asking because i don't know, but from everything they've said here, international students who have been accepted for the fall semester have to remain in their country and complete their courses for this semester online. There are only a few exceptions where international students are going to be allowed to enter Canada to study, and even they have to be able to convince the immigration officer of that. Or if you prefer to attend classes in-person, then defer until January 2021 and see if they allow you to.
I have empathy for those of you who have not had your study permits granted because of delays, that sucks. But for the rest of you who have already gotten yours, then you just need to sit tight, stay where you are, do your courses online, and then try to see what the guidance is for the winter semester.
Definitely, if you want to voice out your concerns and ask for clarity, you should. But i'm just saying as the voice of realism, that they do things in accordance with what's best for the country as per their instructions. Right now their priority is reducing the spread of the virus, while trying to accomplish their other tasks, inevitably it will have certain effects on you guys unfortunately.
I'm saying all of this, because it's better to know what the situation is and make an informed decision, than to be reckless and not know what the repercussions may be in the future. And i'm saying that mainly to the international students who are just showing up at an airport in Canada and expecting to be allowed in. That's not how things work at the moment.
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I think those who are in the driver's seat will understand what the uncertainty and confusion is all about. I don't deem it's necessary to validate and prove that I, as a student, am facing a lot of unknown variables, some of which cannot be explained away so easily. I think it's not a mistake to ask for more information and clarity in the midst of the confusion there is right now. They can have and implement their priorities and I'm no one to talk about that. I understand that. I'm only asking for information about my case and unless we voice out our concerns, it's not going to go anywhere in today's times. Please allow people to ask questions and get information and clarity - I thought asking questions was considered a good thing in the west. And I'll never show up at the border and expect to be allowed in, without getting the green signal from their end that we can travel. Definitely not. That's exactly why I want to ask for clarity from them on who they'll allow in & who they won't. On paper, I don't have a support letter. But in practice, I have a lab, need the computing software, research journals, and campus data bank for my graduate level program. I have a thesis to complete. My presence is really necessary there for a meaningful participation in the program. But I don't know whether I should/ should not go since I have no support letter. There are people like us who really need to be there to study. I don't want to go there just for the sake of going. I am being misunderstood. I totally understand the current situation & won't have a single doubt if it was really possible to do my courses from home. Can't I ask for clarity? Isn't the situation confusing for people like me? There's very real uncertainty whether I'll be allowed in now/ in the future, to do my program from the campus which can't be done remotely. I'm asking for advice from the institution on doing the in-person part later, but it's a side-by-side thing throughout the degree. Difficult/ not possible to do it separately later, after few months. I have to see how the in-person lab components will work out now. Anyway, it's okay. I don't want to argue anymore on proving that there are real issues that many of us are facing. Thanks again.
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Sure, but it seems like you need clarification from your institution first before you deal with IRCC.
They have to provide you some kind of letter of support demonstrating that they acknowledge and certify that you need to be present in Canada, to take your courses given the nature and requirements of your program.
I've been talking in general not specifically for your case, obviously i'm not in a position to comment on that.
Ask as many questions as you want, but you need to have the answers before you set off for Canada, that's mainly my point. People say a lot of things on the forum like people have been able to enter and all that, unless you have a way of verifying it, i wouldn't put any credence in it. You have no idea if it's second, third or fourth hand information or it's actually even true. And even if it is true, it doesn't mean it will be the same in your case.
And it seems to me a lot of people are complaining about uncertainty even when they know they are supposed to remain in their country and take their courses online. So their situation is not in fact uncertain, it's pretty clear actually.
They have to provide you some kind of letter of support demonstrating that they acknowledge and certify that you need to be present in Canada, to take your courses given the nature and requirements of your program.
I've been talking in general not specifically for your case, obviously i'm not in a position to comment on that.
Ask as many questions as you want, but you need to have the answers before you set off for Canada, that's mainly my point. People say a lot of things on the forum like people have been able to enter and all that, unless you have a way of verifying it, i wouldn't put any credence in it. You have no idea if it's second, third or fourth hand information or it's actually even true. And even if it is true, it doesn't mean it will be the same in your case.
And it seems to me a lot of people are complaining about uncertainty even when they know they are supposed to remain in their country and take their courses online. So their situation is not in fact uncertain, it's pretty clear actually.
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I understand the crux of why you're saying what you're saying @Islander216 . I really do. But there are other variables as well that complicate the situation. That's why we need more information. That's all....
I get what you're saying. I agree that information I come across can be misleading. But I can't be sceptical to the extent of believing everything as false. I also know people - trusted sources which attest to the confusion that prevails right now.
The institution will not give a support letter. Most public universities do not officially give that letter. Few may. Most do not . They have asked me to verify the requirements of IRCC & said that whether I can enter or not will depend on the CBSA. I understand what they say is true. But the lack of clarity at the end of the day somehow remains. And as you rightly said, I don't want to show up when I'm not allowed to. I'm doing it online here for now. However, I do hope there's more information for us asap.
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Hmm, so basically you are saying this semester people cannot get to Canada, and they have to wait until there is a further announcement. Is there a credible source that IRCC saying about this? I feel that there is no clear timeline for 2-stage process. Even people that have submitted the necessary documents, they still receive the stage 1 - approval letter (at least it is saying you are allowed to take courses online). But nobody knows when the stage 2 - admissibility starts except IRCC's does. I have seen a lot of people everyday in this forum waiting for their information or "tiny" announcement from IRCC. Some people have been waiting since February, and others deferred their offer for May intake & now for Fall or even Winter intakes. I think what people are pondering about is a clear announcement & timeline processing for study permit so they can decide and make arrangement for their future; for instance, Australia - a Commonwealth member nation - made a very clear statement that they will not take students into the country until 2021.
Sure, the confusion is understandable, but the core facts seem to be clear.
I understand what you mean, but then to me it's that unless you have some way of clearly convincing a border officer that you should be allowed to enter, you just need to stay home and do this semester online until further instructions.
So as i said, it's not as uncertain some make it seem. It's not a question of whether or not you should come or not, whether or not you can do your course online.
It's fall semester is online and you should remain in your home country unless you have compelling reasons to enter Canada for your studies.
I understand what you mean, but then to me it's that unless you have some way of clearly convincing a border officer that you should be allowed to enter, you just need to stay home and do this semester online until further instructions.
So as i said, it's not as uncertain some make it seem. It's not a question of whether or not you should come or not, whether or not you can do your course online.
It's fall semester is online and you should remain in your home country unless you have compelling reasons to enter Canada for your studies.
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/students.html
It's all here,
Unless you can demonstrate according to the reasons given that your travel is non-discretionary, then you should do the fall semester online and remain in your country.
As for the people who have not been provided study permits, for them i do sympathise because there is no clear timeline on when they will get approved.
But for those already issued approvals to study and their courses are online, the instructions are clear.