Skill Under-utilization of Former International Students in the Canadian Labour Market: The Role of Canadian Employers


Abdul-Bari Abdul-Karim, University of Manitoba

International students provide outstanding financial, economic, social benefits and cultural diversity to the host country and significantly contribute to its development and sustainability (Choi, Hou and Chan, 2021). According to recent estimates, the tuition paid by international students amount to over 20% of the budget of many universities (Usher, 2021). The number of international students in Canada approaches 500,000 per year although not all intend to stay after graduation, many wish to. The government has implemented several measures to allow them stay (Statistics Canada, 2021). For instance, on April 14, 2021, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a new pathway to permanent residency for first 40,000 eligible recent international student graduate applicants (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 2021). The problem is, do we have measures in place to ensure their successful participation in the Canadian labour market? As reported by Choi, Hou and Chan (2021), international student graduates earn less compared to their domestic born counterparts when working in Canada after graduation. This research examines the reasons why international student graduates struggle in finding employment despite having Canadian educational qualification. I therefore seek to answer an important question: what role do Canadian employers play in former international student graduates’ labour market outcomes compared to their Canadian-born counterparts? This research uses Critical Race Theory and Human Capital Theories which provide the most comprehensive arguments in identifying immigrants’ challenges in having equitable work trajectories. CRT explains the role of institutionalized racism in immigrants’ labour market outcomes. This paper uses the 2021 longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB) of Canada to investigate the challenges immigrants go through in accessing the labour market. This research is necessary because it helps direct policy aimed at addressing inequities in the labour market, and creating evidence-base of knowing if highly skilled workers are in their appropriate professions.

This paper will be presented at the following session: