Transnational lives interrupted: The Canadian state and Indian international student experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Canada has emerged as a major education destination for international students from across the world. International students are understood to significantly contribute towards the labour market and economic growth of Canada including the higher education sector that has come to financially rely on international students. India has emerged as the largest source of international students to Canada in recent years making them a significant category of migrants impacted by the covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown measures implemented by the Canadian state. This paper looks at the experiences of Indian international students already in Canada and prospective students in India planning to pursue their studies in Canada. The pandemic delayed international education plans for many students in India while causing significant disruption to the studies, employment, and living arrangements of international students in Canada. Such disruptions created considerable uncertainty over their financial situation including meeting various eligibility requirements for work permit after graduation. This paper reveals the deeply embodied and personalised consequences for students in the face of state responses to balancing pandemic control and retaining financial and economic contribution during the pandemic.