International student migration (ISM) is one of the fastest growing categories of migrants in Canada. Drawing on the narratives of 30 international students at a Canadian university, this paper investigates international students’ decisions to study overseas and the roles of social networks in shaping mobility. We find that international students negotiate information while embedded in multiple social networks consisting of family, friends, ethnocultural and religious communities, and professional relations in origin and settlement countries. These social networks exceed typical knowledge and connection functions; they act as informal migration agents, providing transnational care and guidance, and ‘do’ family in ways that shape mobility decisions and settlement. The information provided through these networks, however, can be inaccurate or incomplete, requiring the strategic mobilization of new networks to support migration. We conclude that international student mobility relies on building transnational networks to support knowledge transfer, provide care and offer tangible supports. Furthermore, we argue that these fluctuating local and transnational social networks should be more fully recognized in the theorizing of ISM and in strategies implemented for supporting international students.

中文翻译：

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建立、谈判和维持跨国社交网络：国际学生在加拿大移民决定的叙述

国际学生移民（ISM）是加拿大增长最快的移民类别之一。本文根据加拿大一所大学 30 名国际学生的叙述，调查了国际学生出国留学的决定以及社交网络在塑造流动性方面的作用。我们发现，国际学生在融入由家庭、朋友、民族文化和宗教社区以及原籍国和定居国的专业关系组成的多个社交网络时进行信息谈判。这些社交网络超出了典型的知识和联系功能；他们充当非正式移民代理，提供跨国照顾和指导，并以影响流动决策和定居的方式“照顾”家庭。然而，通过这些网络提供的信息可能不准确或不完整，需要战略性地动员新网络来支持移民。我们的结论是，国际学生流动依赖于建立跨国网络来支持知识转移、提供关怀和切实支持。此外，我们认为，在 ISM 理论和支持国际学生实施的战略中，应该更充分地认识到这些波动的本地和跨国社交网络。