International students as a source of labour supply: The growing number of international students and their changing sociodemographic characteristics

The number of new international students (first-time study permit holders) in Canada has increased steadily since the mid-2000s, and reached 250,020 in 2019. Alongside this trend are increased efforts in attracting international students as a potential pool of candidates for permanent immigration and the Canadian labour force. To understand the nature of this potential pool of labour, this article provides a comprehensive analysis of who is coming to Canada as an international student.