Foreign Students in the U.S. and Canada

There are many non-native speakers of English at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. Non-natives are usually foreign students or resident aliens. Foreign students in the United States are non-residents with F or J visas. Resident aliens are immigrants or refugees. In addition, some US and Canadian citizens are non-native speakers. They do not speak English as their first language.

California is the state with the most foreign students. Texas and New York are next. Other states with large numbers of foreign students are Massachusetts, Illinois, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Students from Europe most often attend school in the northeastern or northwestern states, and students from Asia usually go to school in the mid-western and western states. Latin Americans most often study in the South and Southwest, and Africans usually attend school in the Midwest and South. In Canada, many non-native speakers study in Quebec and speak French. Some go to school in the provinces of Ontario, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, and Alberta.

Engineering is the most popular field of study for visa students. Many study management and business. Most foreign students major in practical subjects.

Many visa students in the United States come from the Middle East and Asia, and many are from oil countries. Iran, Nigeria, Japan, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, China, India, and Thailand send large numbers of students to the United States. Foreign students in Canada often come from Malaysia and the United Kingdom.

Visa students are only a small part of the many non-native speakers at American colleges and universities. But the facts show that non-natives are very important in American higher education.