The Canadian government added a mandatory three-day hotel stay for travelers to travel restrictions on February 22nd expected to pay out of pocket.
For many international students, however, the price is too high to warrant a school trip to Canada.
“For college students, $ 2,000 is a lot of money,” said Abigail Ting Baker, an international student currently studying at the University of Toronto.
Abigail Ting Baker
More than 344,000 international students from 225 countries took part in formal programs at colleges and universities in the 2018/2019 academic year. according to statistics Canada.
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During a press conference on Jan. 29, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the mandatory hotel stay could cost. “more than $ 2,000“However, these costs are likely to be lower than originally thought. The new measures are supposed to Discourage unnecessary travel overseas and to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within Canada.
Even so, Baker decided to return home to be with the family and planned to return for the first semester of the 2020/2021 academic year. However, she chose because of that Increase in COVID-19 cases.
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Staying in Hong Kong during the Canadian school year also has its challenges: Baker often has to attend classes for odd hours due to the time difference. Your class begins at 10 p.m. HKT (11 a.m. ET) and ends between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. HKT (12 p.m. to 1 p.m. ET) each day. Baker also has a job that starts at 8 a.m. HKT (7 p.m. ET) and returns home around 1 p.m. HKT (12 p.m. ET).
Although Baker is now used to her new routine, it has been difficult for her to adjust to the new schedule.
“The worst thing about the time difference is the lack of cooperation with my colleagues. Any additional Zoom study sessions and gatherings for me are in the middle of the night so I feel like I am missing out on that aspect of the university experience, ”she said.
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Baker also feels isolated.
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While my family is here, most of my high school friends are back in college, ”said Baker.
There are some international students who have made the decision to return to Canada but now have to follow long guidelines before entering the country.
Daniel Elizondo is an international student on the Okanagan (UBCO) campus of the University of British Columbia in Kelowna, BC. He went to Mexico for the winter break and returned to Canada on January 9th to finish his studies.
Daniel Elizondo
Elizondo knew that if he returned to Mexico, there was no guarantee that he would return to Canada, knowing that he had no essential reason to be in Canada other than to study.
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To return to Canada he had to be registered designated learning institution (DLI). He also had to prove that he had a valid study permit and that his study program was not suspended or canceled due to the pandemic.
However, the hardest part of returning to Canada was getting a valid COVID-19 molecular test result within 72 hours of flying. For Elizondo, this meant booking a test in a private laboratory in Mexico at least a week before his return flight to Canada. It was also expensive: the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test cost him about $ 200.
“It was a bit stressful. I wasn’t sure I would get my results in time, ”he said. “I live in a big city so it is pretty easy for me to get a test, but I can’t imagine what students in smaller cities have to go through to get a PCR test.”
The cost of returning to Canada, as well as study and living expenses, are prohibitive for many international students. Elizondo’s pro-credit rate for courses at UBCO is seven times higher than the domestic student tariff. He also pays $ 1,020 every month to rent a studio apartment near campus.
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In response to federal travel and quarantine restrictions, many universities are trying to help students enter Canada safely.
Matthew Ramsey, director of university affairs at the University of British Columbia (UBC), said the school is trying to figure out how to best support students who choose to return during the COVID-19 pandemic. UBC currently offers resources such as asynchronous learning opportunities and a 24/7 mental health hotline for international students, among others.
“The effects of the federal government’s travel rules are still heavily debated as they apply to students. We’re talking to people across campus to see how we can support students who choose to come back, ”said Ramsey. “We are asking the federal government to provide additional clarity on these travel guidelines.”
During a press conference on February 19, Health Minister Patty Hajdu said: “People must be prepared for the additional costs of quarantine in a federal institution for up to three days.”
Despite the new obstacles international students now face with travel restrictions, some students have high hopes for the future.
I would love to see the pandemic be a thing of the past and things return (slowly) to what life was before the pandemic, ”said Elizondo.
Paula Tran is a freelance journalist based in Toronto, Ontario. She is currently a Masters student at Ryerson University School of Journalism and can be followed on Twitter at @ paulatr12.
