University to Work Transition: Experiences of Undergraduate International Students in Canada


Mercedeh Safarian, York University; Nancy Mandell, York university

Few studies have addressed the transition of international students from university to work. in this presentation, we contribute to this literature by examining the experiences of international students at a Canadian university. We build on a three-stage framework proposed by Ng, Menzies, and Zutshi (2019), which comprises finishing a degree, looking for a job, and working in a job, to understand the university-to-work transition of international students at York University. Our analysis reveals that international students face considerable challenges during the initial stages. They confront economic, institutional, social, and cultural difficulties when finishing their degree and beginning to search for jobs. The students shared how these challenges make it difficult for them to secure employment. Moreover, the students’ stories highlight how they navigate these challenges by relying on friends and family for financial and emotional support. Despite their excitement about entering this new stage of their immigration journey, the students express concern over the limited support from formal immigration services and university institutions. This lack of support during the initial stages exacerbates the ongoing challenges they face and complicates their transition into the Canadian labour market. This study highlights the different struggles of international students in transitioning from university to work, the strategies they use to navigate these challenges, and the need for institutional support to facilitate their integration into the labour market.

Non-presenting authors: Jana Borras, York University; Janice Phonepraseuth, York University; Larry Lam, York University

This paper will be presented at the following session: