Despite equal Canadian education credentials, international students earn less than their Canadian peers after graduation, Statistics Canada says. That’s because they fail to secure enough local work experience before they graduate, data from the agency indicates.

More than 58,000 international graduates successfully applied for permanent resident status. One year after graduation, the income gap between international graduates with high academic qualifications and Canadian citizens graduates is greater than the income gap between international graduates with low academic qualifications and Canadian citizens graduates. Among them, for a bachelor’s degree, the income gap between the two is about 10%, while for a master’s degree, the income gap between the two is 40%. Nevertheless, in some professional fields, the situation is the opposite. The income for the two demographics is similar in visual and performing arts, communication technology, humanities, health and related fields.