ICFS explores alternatives amidst Australia’s, UK’s shifting policies for Sri Lankan students

Colombo, Jan 17 (Daily Mirror) - Despite recent immigration policy changes and the new strategies introduced by Australia and the United Kingdom for students aspiring to pursue higher education, the International Center for Foreign Studies (ICFS) said that many other destinations have opened their doors for international students in 2024.

Australia and the United Kingdom have been the two top destinations for applicants from Sri Lanka who wish to peruse their studies overseas. 

However, the recent immigration policy changes and the new strategies that have been annouced by the two countries have pushed these prospective candidates into a very frustrated situation lately.

Chairman of ICFS, Nimedha Dahanayake said there are many other destinations that have opened their doors for international students in 2024. 

"Canada, Germany and Finland are a few such destinations which are leading at the moment in terms of student recruitments," he said.

He further said that Canada has caught up greater attention in terms of the opportunities that are available for international students. There are scholarships ranging up to 10,000 CAD, application fee waivers and also the opportunity to apply for conditional offers for those candidates who are not ready with the IELTS results. 

The Chairman said that ICFS is hosting special programmes on January 20 for students aspiring to pursue higher education opportunities. 

"All the applicants who visit ICFS Education Centre on Saturday will be able to secure these opportunities," he said.

To provide firsthand information and facilitate interactions, the ICFS Education Centre is hosting regional representatives from prominent Canadian institutions. Among the institutions participating are Nipissing University, Cape Breton University, University of Regina, University Canada West, Yorkville University, Algoma University, University of Manitoba, International Business University, Conestoga College and Seneca College.

Dahanayake underscores Canada's appeal as an affordable study destination compared to other major options.

Also, Canada's pro-migration stance offers a robust path for Permanent Residency (PR) post-education, adding to its allure, he said.