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Punjab students panic after Canadian colleges defer May intake for diploma courses to September due to coronavirus outbreak
Students say they’ve deposited fee running into lakhs for the diploma courses that range from a year to two years but will now have to wait for six months amid uncertainty; authorities offer to refund tuition deposit except application fee
FARIDKOT: Universities and colleges in Canada have started informing international students enrolled for diploma courses in May that their intake will be deferred to September after the North American country barred the entry of foreign travellers on Wednesday to check the spread of coronavirus. This has led to panic among students in Punjab keen on pursuing higher education in Canada.
The move comes after the announcement by Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau that his country will bar the entry to most non-citizens and non-permanent residents in an attempt to limit the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19), which means that all international students keen on pursuing courses from May will not be allowed to enter Canada from March 18.
The diploma courses range from a year to two years but now students will need to wait for six months amid the uncertainty
A woman student from Phagwara enrolled for a diploma in business administration for the May intake in a college in Montreal was not allowed to board the flight on Tuesday from the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, by the airline authorities following the entry ban. “I came back and contacted the college authorities who told me that they will defer my intake to September. I don’t know what will happen now. I’ve deposited ₹17 lakh as fee and now I’ll have to wait till September,” she said, requesting anonymity.
Faridkot-based property dealer Surinder Singh, whose daughter was to pursue the law enforcement studies post-baccalaureate diploma at the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC), said that she got the student visa last week but on Wednesday the college informed her that they have cancelled the May intake for the diploma. “They told us that if we have paid the tuition deposit for the May semester, they will defer my daughter’s intake to September. If we don’t wish to defer to September and want to withdraw from the JIBC, they will refund the tuition deposit except for the application fee of $150 (₹7,800),” he said.
CANCELLING TRAVEL PLANS
“I understand that due to the impact of Covid-19, this is a time of uncertainty for many of you. Your health and well-being is our primary concern. Though no confirmed case of Covid-19 has been reported on campus, the JIBC is taking exceptional measures to mitigate the impact of this virus. Our decision-making and measures are based on guidance and direction from the Canadian government. I strongly advise those of you who have already made travel arrangements for March and April to cancel them immediately,” said the dean, school of criminal justice and security and office of international affairs, JIBC, Stuart Ruttan in an email to the students.
A Jalandhar resident, Arohan Arora, who has been enrolled for the May semester of a diploma course at Matrix College in Montreal, was also asked to defer admission to September.
Similarly, Vancouver Community College, St Lawrence College in Kingston and Columbia College in Vancouver have informed students about deferring their intake to September.
Narpat Babbar, an immigration consultant in Jalandhar, said there is panic among students, but they don’t have to worry as the intake has only been deferred due to steps taken by the Canadian government to stem the spread of coronavirus. “I’m in touch with the college authorities. They have informed us not to make any tuition fee deposit as they will not be issuing the letter of acceptance for May and those students who have deposited their fee, should defer their arrival for the September intake,” he said.
