WWICS Blog

PR Status to be Fast Tracked under Canadian Experience Visa Class Program
Posted on:2 January' 12

As per a release by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the Canadian Experience Visa class, created in 2008 is one of the most recent programs aiming to ensure that skilled work force and Professionals stay in the country.

In a bid to retain the Skilled temporary foreign workers & graduate students on temporary visas, the Permanent Residence status under the Canadian experience visa is being fast-tracked.

The eligibility criteria for the Canadian Experience visa class is that the applicant must either be a temporary foreign worker with at least two years of full-time skilled work experience in Canada, or a foreign graduate from a Canadian post-secondary institution with at least one year of full-time skilled work experience in Canada. Applicants must also be fluent in either English or French and also apply while employed in Canada or within a period of one year of having left their job in the country.

According to Canadian Immigration Minister, Jason Kenney, Canada has successfully attracted a good number of immigration aspirants wishing to get Canadian PR. This program fast-tracks PR visa applications of Skilled Workers & Professionals and graduate Students, who have lived in Canada on a temporary visa. It is currently Canada's fastest-growing immigration program.

Before the Canadian Experience visa class was introduced, highly skilled foreigners could not become Permanent Residents from within Canada. "We'd tell them to leave the country because their temporary foreign work permit or student visa had expired" after they'd completed two years of contract work here or obtained a degree at a Canadian university," Kenney opined.

The applications for Canada's Experience Visa is expected to go up and reach 7, 000 in the coming year in comparison to 2, 545 applications received in 2009. Canada welcomed 10, 000th Permanent Resident last week ever since the inception of this visa class category in 2008.

Lt. Col. Sandhu (Retd.), CMD of WWICS said, ‘Canada has been one of the most favored destination countries for a majority of people and with the fast track PR status under the Canadian Experience visa class, all the temporary workers & students are geared for a successful life in the maple country.’

He added that the future of Canadian Immigration for young people with Canadian education and work experience is extremely positive.