Canada starts 3 years Work Permit for International Students

The Canadian Government has introduced changes to work permits for international students who graduate from eligible programs at certain Canadian post-secondary institutions, making it easier to attract foreign students to Canada.

With immediate effect and for the first time, international students would be able to obtain an open work permit for 3 years after completion of the course under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program with no restrictions on the type of employment and no requirement for a job offer. 

In addition, the duration of the work permit has been extended to three years across the country. Previously, the program only allowed international students to work for one or two years, depending on the location. The new policy will save time and money, as foreign students will no longer be required to apply   separately for work permit once they complete the course in Canada.

Lt. Col. Sandhu, CMD, WWICS said, “This has come as a great news for foreign students who choose Canada for overseas education. The Post-Graduation Work Permit Program would allow students who have graduated from an eligible program at a post-secondary institution to open and longer work permits with more opportunities for Canadian work experience and skills development while responding to Canada’s labour market needs. This opportunity is also available to international students already studying in Canada.

He added that, “Our existing clients may also benefit from this programs, wherein they may reach Canada in 2-3 months time on study visa & may further stay on work permit. By that time, their PR case would materialize. Also those applicants who were earlier not eligible to apply for Canadian Permanent Residency due to lack of experience, would now be able to move to Canada on Study Permit within a short time frame. They would earn additional points for Canadian education, work experience & adaptability and these factors would greatly increase chances for Interview waivers when applying for Permanent Residency cases. If the applicant is married, his/her spouse can accompany him/her and work full-time as a professional.”

“As we move toward the implementation of the Canadian Experience Class, these changes will help create a pool of individuals who, with work experience, will find it easier to apply to immigrate to Canada,” said Hon'ble Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. “Our ability to retain international graduates with Canadian qualifications, work experience and familiarity with Canadian society, will help increase our competitiveness and benefit Canada as a whole.” She added while announcing this recent change.  

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