The Effects of Activation: International Students’ Employment and Transitions to Permanent Residency in Canada

This article analyzes the effects of activation strategies—or policy interventions designed to encourage and regulate labour force participation—targeting international students during their studies. It analyzes Statistics Canada's Canadian Employer-Employee Dynamics Database (CEEDD), revealing that a larger proportion of international students than domestic students work in jobs and industries characterized by precariousness in employment during their studies, a trend amplified for those international students from lower-income countries of origin. These trends become more prominent after 2014, when Canada introduced an automatic off-campus work permit for all study permit holders. The analysis also finds that international students who work in industries characterized by precariousness during their studies are less likely to transition to permanent residency in a timely manner. As Canada adjusts its approach to regulating educational migration, these findings suggest that further policy interventions are advisable in order to better protect international students as workers both before and after they graduate.