The impact of COVID‐19 on international student enrolments in North America: Comparing Canada and the United States

Abstract

Both Canada and the United States enrol a significant number of international students. However, in March 2020, both countries closed their borders and increased restrictions to international travel due to COVID‐19, which had a direct impact on international students' ability to travel between their home countries and study destinations. This article examines the impact of COVID‐19 on international student enrolments by asking two related questions: first, how did government policy address international students' difficult reality in the wake of COVID‐19? And, did international student enrolments change as a result? With regard to policy, we find a stark divergence: Canada's federal policies quickly adapted to support international students and ensure they remained eligible for post‐graduate work permits, preserving the appeal of Canada as a study destination. Meanwhile, in the US, federal policies for student visas required international students to maintain physical presence, reflecting a more hostile stance towards immigration, characteristic of the Trump administration. Despite these differences, with regard to enrolments, we find largely similar patterns, with COVID resulting in only a small decline in international student enrolments nationwide. A more worrying trend for both countries is that selective institutions seem to have been less impacted than access‐oriented institutions.