According to a report by MPOWER, students from Africa have consistently gotten lower study permit acceptance rates compared to their global contemporaries in Canada.
The report shows that North African students encounter the highest visa acceptance rates, while students from Central Africa encounter the lowest.
The report, titled “Access Denied: Unveiling Disparities in Study Permit Approvals for African Students in Canada,” reveals that despite the reputation of Canada as a preferred study destination, African students encountered major acceptance barrier between 2018 and 2023 as they had an average acceptance rate of less than 50%, while students from other regions consistently had acceptance rates of over 75%.
While talking about the disparities in acceptance rate, Sasha Ramani, Head of Canada and Corporate Strategy at MPOWER, said: “The disparities identified not only deprive bright minds of opportunities but also deprive Canada of tens of thousands of talented individuals and billions of dollars in economic contributions.”
An excerpt from the report read: “Over the six-year period from 2018 to 2023, African students systematically received study permit approvals at rates substantially lower than their classmates from other countries (27% for African students versus 74% for students from other nations on average over the six-year period).
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“This difference persisted when comparing across educational levels and controlling for non-SDS study permit applications.
“In addition, students from Francophone African nations were accepted at even lower rates when compared with students from non-francophone African nations (22% versus 29% on average over the six-year period)
Over the years, visa acceptance rates for African students have been a highly contentious issue. In 2023, the US rejected a record number of visas due to delays and difficulties.
According to the report, students from Central Africa encountered the worst in 2023, with study permit acceptance rates of less than 30% for both undergraduate and postgraduate levels while other regions ranged from 40-50%.
North Africa had the highest acceptance rates, though still below those of students from other continents.
West Africa, including major sending countries like Nigeria, had the second-lowest undergraduate acceptance rates at around 30% and the third-highest postgraduate acceptance rates at around 45%.