We all seem to understand how a strike at UNBC can affect its students as well the entire Prince George community. However, I believe a lot of people are overlooking how such a strike can seriously detriment international students. There is no helpful information from UNBC or UNBC's Faculty Association as to what international students can do during this strike. How is it going to affect their statuses while studying in Canada? What is to become of their highly-priced, inordinate tuition costs and fees they already paid? Who can they possibly consult provided that CIC (Citizenship Immigration Canada) is very reluctant in responding to inquiries or concerns?
All of these students, including myself underwent a formidable and lengthy application process just to secure a student visa. We traveled from different parts of the world to pay tripled the tuition cost. As an international student at UNBC, I paid close to $16,000 in tuition costs and fees for the 2014-15 academic year. Most of these funds were paid up front before ever actually attending a course. What is even more cumbersome about my situation, this is my last year at the university and after renewing my study permit in August, CIC gave me a scheduled completion date of June 2015. CIC gave me this date due to the fact I was set to graduate in May. After that I am expected to leave Canada.
Although there is always the possibility of renewing my study permit, it is very costly and on top of that you are heavily scrutinized by CIC when applying to extend or change conditions to your student visa. You are also not guaranteed approval of your permit being extended. So imagine a person working very hard for years just to get a degree, then all of a sudden all of that hard work gone up in smoke through no fault of their own. There are people attending the university who are in a similar situation and earnestly do not know what to do because there is no one to help them and there is not enough support for them. No one has ever taken into account our concerns although we have contributed greatly to both the UNBC and Prince George communities and yet we are still discounted and remain voiceless in this issue. I hope there is an end to this strike soon.
R. Frederick
Prince George
