International student services are the services, supports and programming available to undergraduate and graduate international students provided by the institution at which they are studying. These services have been developed to meet international students' specific needs during their post-secondary studies and can include: orientation programming, immigration advising, academic and language support, financial aid support, employment services, health and wellness support, residence and housing support, social programming, and post-graduation planning support.
History
Canada
Student affairs services began to emerge in Canada at the end of the 19th century but it was only with the formation of the University Counselling and Placement Association (UCPA) in 1958 that international student advising was included as a service provided by student affairs professionals.
Students from other countries had been coming to study at colleges and universities in Canada since the late 1800s but increased greatly after World War II, which led to the founding of the national organization Friendly Relations with Overseas Students. There has also recently been an emphasis on "internationalizing" Canadian campuses, leading to more intentional recruitment of international students; with over 95% of Canadian universities including internationalization in their strategic plan. The sociocultural, economic, academic and political benefits of internationalization have been a significant impetus to adopt an internationalization strategy within most Canadian educational institutions.
When the Friendly Relations with Overseas Students was founded, there were 6,000 international students in Canada; by 2017 there were 494,525 international students in Canada, with 370,710 studying in higher education; in 2018, this number has almost doubled to about 721,000 international students. According to the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE), this number has increased to 530, 540 international students studying in Canada at all levels of study in 2020. These students come from all over the world, with the majority coming from India and China. Ontario has the largest number of international students studying across the province following by British Columbia. In 2018, international students in Canada contributed an estimated $21.6 billion to Canada’s GDP and in 2016 supported almost 170,000 jobs for Canada’s middle class.
Types of International Student Services
Services provided by the international office
Specific international student services are provided by student affairs professionals who often work within the institution's international office or international centre, or by student affairs professionals from other departments (such as career services or wellness centres) who work in tandem with the international office to develop and deliver services for international students.
International centres or offices are often part of the institutions' student affairs or student services department. Institutions with smaller student populations may not have a dedicated international office but should still have student affairs professionals dedicated to working with international students. Canada has developed strategies and programs to support international students. The new initiatives and programs have been introduced to increase services for international students in higher education.