Exploring the lived experiences of South Asian international students in Canadian higher education

Implications for social work practice

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/3mxy0a21

Keywords:

International students, Canadian higher education, Social work perspective

Abstract

Canada has emerged as a key destination for international students, including a significant population from South Asia. This qualitative study explores the multifaceted experiences of South Asian international students in Canadian higher education from a social work lens. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with seven international students from four South Asian countries (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka), this study reveals critical themes, including challenges in cultural adaptation, academic pressures, financial strain, and the ability to navigate support systems. The findings highlight the crucial role of social support networks and culturally informed services in fostering student well-being and academic success. This study urges culturally responsive social work interventions and policy reforms to better support international students, promote their integration, and mitigate potential mental health challenges. 

Author Biographies

  • Karun Kishor Karki, University of British Columbia

    Karun K. Karki (MSW, PhD) is an Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of British Columbia. He is a Founding Director of the Emotional Well-being Institute (EWBI) Canada and a Co-Director of Education and Professional Development, EWBI Geneva, Switzerland. His research focuses on critical social justice issues, including anti-racism, anti-casteism, and the well-being of marginalized groups, including immigrants, refugees, and LGBTQ+ communities in Canada and internationally. Email: karun.karki@ubc.ca

  • Ashmin Hari Bhattarai, University of British Columbia

    Ashmin Hari Bhattarai (MBA, MPH, PMP) works with the Sponsored Research Team at the University of British Columbia, supporting grant and contract administration. He also volunteers in project management and grant writing for the Emotional Well-being Institute Canada. His interests include implementation science, immigrant and indigenous health, and advancing equity-focused, action-oriented health. Email: ashmin.bhattarai@ubc.ca

  • Charles Gyan, McGil University

    Charles Gyan (MPhil, PhD) is an Associate Professor at the McGill School of Social Work. He holds a PhD from Wilfrid Laurier University and an MPhil in social work from the University of Ghana. Dr. Gyan’s work focuses on social justice, transnational social work practice, and community development. His research employs diverse methods to address social policies and promote the inclusion of marginalized groups, aiming to inform systems‐level interventions. Email: charles.gyan@mcgill.ca

References

Akhter, T., & Mahmood, M. (2024, November 21–22). Precarious employment experiences in Toronto: A literature-based visual ethnography of South Asian women (SAW) in the food service industry [Conference paper]. RAIS Conference Proceedings, 21-22, 0479. Research Association for Interdisciplinary Studies. Retrieved from https://rais.education/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/0479.pdf

Alfattal, E. (2016). A new conceptual model for understanding international students’ college needs. Journal of International Students, 6(4), 920-932. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v6i4.326

ApplyBoard. (2024, February 15). Over 1 million international students in Canada in 2023. Retrieved from https://www.applyboard.com

ApplyBoard. (2024, January 31). What were the top destinations for international students in 2023? https://www.applyboard.com

Bellefeuille, G. (2021). The celebration of life’s milestones and significant events: A course-based qualitative inquiry into milieu relational work in child and youth care residential programs. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 8(4), 197–203. https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.84.10013

Bennett, M. J. (1998). Intercultural communication: A current perspective. In M. J. Bennett (Ed.), Basic concepts of intercultural communication: Selected readings (pp. 216-224). Intercultural Press.

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Brunner, L. R., Karki, K. K., Valizadeh, N., Shokirova, T., & Coustere, C. (2024). Unfamiliarity, uncertainties, and ambivalent long-term intentions: Conceptualizing international student-migrant settlement and integration. Journal of International Migration and Integration. doi: 10.1007/s12134-024-01116-1

Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASSA). (2024, November 30). The economic impact and challenges of international students. https://www.cassa.ca

Caulfield, J. (2023, June 22). How to do thematic analysis | Step-by-step guide & examples. https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/thematic-analysis/

Choi, Y., Crossman, E., & Hou, F. (2021, June 23). International students as a source of labor supply: Retention in their province of study. Statistics Canada. https://doi.org/10.25318/36280001202100600003-eng

Coustere, C., Brunner, L. R., Karki, K. K., Shokirova, T., Valizadeh, N. (2023). International students as labor: Experiencing the global imaginary. Higher Education, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-023-01118-5

CTV News. (2025, May 24). Fewer international students adding to university budget challenges. https://www.ctvnews.ca

CUPE. (2025, July 7). International students and the Canadian economy. https://cupe.ca

Erudera. (2024, February 29). Canada’s international student enrollment rose by nearly 30% in 2023. https://erudera.com

Firang, D., & Mensah, J. (2022). Exploring the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on international students and universities in Canada. Journal of International Students, 12(1), 1–18.

https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v12i1.2881

Global Affairs Canada. (2024, June 25). Economic impact of international education in Canada - 2022 update. https://www.international.gc.ca

Government of Canada. (2025, February 3). Work off campus as an international student. https://www.canada.ca

Gupta, T.D., & Su, Y. (2023, May 2). Canada’s costly housing market leaves international students open to exploitation. https://www.yorku.ca

Howe, T., Sagar, S., & Pushpamgathan, A. (2025, January 31). Faculty member studies lived experiences of international students. https://inside.tru.ca

Hunter, H., Joomun, W., & Baker, A. (2025, February 24). Why Canada should do more to keep international students. Policy Options.

https://policyoptions.irpp.org

ICEF Monitor. (2024, January). Canada hosted more than 1 million international students in 2023. https://monitor.icef.com

ICEF Monitor. (2024, July 10). International students contributed $31 billion to Canadian economy in 2022. https://monitor.icef.com

Jones, S. (2022, February 9). Interpreting themes from qualitative data: Thematic analysis. https://www.evalacademy.com

Karki, K. K. (2016). Walking the complexities between two worlds: A personal story of epistemological tensions in knowledge production. Qualitative Social Work, 15(5–6), 628–639.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325016652678

Karki, K. K., Moasun, F., Freymond, N., Giwa, S., & *Zoltek, A. M. (2022). MSW students’ perceptions of the professional identities of the social work practitioner and the social work researcher: Considerations for educators. Journal of Social Work Education, 59(1), 197-210. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2021.1997683

Khan, Y. H., Sivapalan, S., & Wang, S. (2023). Assessing the impact of a health education intervention for postsecondary international students in Canada. Cureus, 15(7), e42243. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.42243

Lari, S. A., Zumot, M. S., & Fredericks, S. (2025). Navigating mental health challenges in international university students: Adapting to life transitions. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1574953

Liamputtong, L., & Ezzy, D. (1999). Qualitative research methods: A health focus. Oxford University Press.

Liebenberg, L., Jamal, A., & Ikeda, J. (2020). Extending youth voices in a participatory thematic analysis approach. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406920934614

Maguire, M., & Delahunt, B. (2017). Doing a thematic analysis: A practical, step-by-step guide for learning and teaching scholars. All Ireland journal of higher education, 9(3). https://ojs.aishe.org/index.php/aishe-j/article/view/335/553

Mandell, N., Phonepraseuth, J., Borras, J., & Lam, L. (2022). South Asian and Chinese international students in Canada: The role of social connections in their settlement and integration. Comparative and International Education, 51(1), 75–91. https://doi.org/10.5206/cieeci.v51i1.14220

Mann, P. (2025, June 27). New international students to Canada plummet by 70% in 2025. Immigration News Canada. https://immigrationnewscanada.ca

Matsumoto, R. (2024, December 4). Canada’s international student program engineers inequality. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). https://www.policyalternatives.ca

Misra, R., Crist, M., & Burant, C. J. (2003). Relationships among life stress, social support, academic stressors, and reactions to stressors of international students in the United States. International Journal of Stress Management, 10(2), 137–157. https://doi.org/10.1037/1072-5245.10.2.137

Morgenshtern, M., & Schmid, J. (2025). Is “good social work” anti-oppressive practice? The mainstreaming of critical discourse. Critical Social Work, 25(2), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.22329/csw.v25i2.8567

OCASI (Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants). (2024, May 14). OCASI statement: equity and fairness for international students. https://ocasi.org/ocasi-statement-equity-and-fairness-international-students

Osei, E.J.A. & Tettey, E. (2025). Integrating ecosystem change education into social work practice. In: Brears, R.C. (eds) The Palgrave handbook of ecosystems and well-being. Palgrave studies in sustainable futures. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24952-5_24-1

Palinkas, L. A., Horwitz, S. M., Green, N. A., Wisdom, J. P., Duan, C., & Hoagwood, K. (2015). Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 42(5), 577–587. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4012002/

Qualtrics. (2024). The ultimate guide to thematic analysis in qualitative research. https://www.qualtrics.com

Rahim, R. (2025). Migratory stress of Bangladeshi international students in Canadian postsecondary institutions. Journal of International Students, 15(11), 77-98. https://doi.org/10.32674/zx4w0389

Shokirova, T., Brunner, L. R., Karki, K., Coustere, C., & Valizadeh, N. (2022). Confronting and reimagining the orientation of international graduate students: A collaborative autoethnography approach. Journal of Teaching and Learning, 16(2), 5-27. 10.22329/jtl. v16i2.7019

Su, Y. (2025, January 13). Demonizing foreign students sidesteps solutions to Canada's problems. https://www.yorku.ca

Tavakol, M., & Sandars, J. (2025). Twelve tips for using phenomenology as a qualitative research approach in health professions education. Medical Teacher, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2025.2478871

Till, L., & Taimoor, S. (2025). Othering international students: Exploring the conflict between student visa policy and Canada’s commitment to multiculturalism. Peer Beyond Graduate Research Conference, 1(1), 21–25. https://doi.org/10.55016/pbgrc.v1i1.81401

Torres-Arends, I., Jacobsen, M., Lang, B., & Sharma, A. (2025). Negotiating cultural and contextual experiences: Exploring acculturative stress and coping strategies among international students in Canada. Journal of International Students, 15(9), 119-140.https://doi.org/10.32674/tsqkad73

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. (2025, February). International mobility of students for study purposes, 2013–2022 [Dataset]. Migration Data Portal. https://www.migrationdataportal.org/international-data?i=stud_in_&t=2022

Yuan, X., Okonufua, O., & Kiani, M. (2025). International student motivations and experiences of studying in small to mid-sized universities in remote Canada: A scoping review. Journal of International Students, 15(9), 179-204. https://doi.org/10.32674/2w641h08

Zabin, R. (2022). International Student Challenges Further Amplified in the Era of a Pandemic: A Tale of a Bangladeshi Graduate Student. Journal of International Students, 12(S2), 193-211. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v12iS2.4315

Downloads

Published

2026-02-10

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 4 (2026): Journal of International Students

Section

Research Articles (English, regular edition)

Categories

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of International Students

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Copyright (c) [year] [author]
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

How to Cite

Karki, K. K., Bhattarai, A. . H., & Gyan, C. (2026). Exploring the lived experiences of South Asian international students in Canadian higher education: Implications for social work practice. Journal of International Students, 16(4), 81-102. https://doi.org/10.32674/3mxy0a21