The House of Commons Science Committee recommends taxpayers consider covering tuition for international students, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. .“As Canada faces a skilled labour shortage, post-secondary education and research institutions are confronted with strong international competition to attract and retain top talent,” said a report tabled at the Commons Science Committee. .“The Government of Canada (should) consider compensation mechanisms for students to attract and retain top talent such as tuition cost coverage and increased employment opportunities for both international students on student visas and students receiving federal grants.”.Foreigners pay the full cost for post-secondary tuition. MPs did not estimate the cost for funding this tuition. .A cabinet response is pending. The report said for Canada to be competitive in research and innovation, it “must attract and retain individuals who come to study and conduct research at Canadian post-secondary institutions.”.The report followed an Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada waiver under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act restricting foreign students from working more than 20 hours a week in Canada. Temporary regulations to take effect Nov. 15 would allow a half-million international students to work unlimited hours..The proposal for tuition subsidies for foreigners followed a complaint from the National Research Council (NRC). .“Given the council’s specialized research, it is often not possible to find qualified Canadians or permanent residents to fill our research positions,” said staff. .The NRC said it “often needs to recruit internationally,” but it did not elaborate. The agency would not detail data indicating Canadian researchers were unqualified to work for it. .“The council is contributing to a brain gain,” said NRC spokesperson Karyne Vienneau. .Chinese and Hong Kong students studying in Canada were implicated in a money-laundering scheme for organized crime, according to an August report from the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre. .READ MORE: Report says Chinese students in Canada laundering money.“A number of suspected ‘money mules’ are international students receiving wire transfers from individuals and entities in China and Hong Kong as well as email money transfers and bank drafts from third parties in Canada,” said the report. .“These funds appear to flow through personal and business accounts with little information on the source.”
