Canada announces major changes to its work permit program for international students

To attract and retain qualified international students and assist employers to capitalize on the skills and experience of international students, Canadian government has announced to simplify its Post-Graduation Work Permit program for international students.

The changes, which will effective immediately, will make it easier for those international students to work in Canada who graduate from eligible programs at certain Canadian post-secondary institutions. For the first time, these international students would be able to obtain an open work permit 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 from the one to two years allowed previously. However, this extension in length of visa would apply only to those international students who have completed at least two years of study in Canada. if the student’s program of study is less than two years but at least eight months, the student would be eligible for a post-graduate work permit. In this situation, the length of work visa must not be longer than the period of study of graduate at the particular post-secondary institution in Canada.

According to the preliminary data of 2007, 63,673 international students came to Canada that year, which is 4.6 per cent higher than 2006. These open and longer work permits will not only provide international students with more opportunities for valuable Canadian work experience and skills development but also facilitate them in their transition to permanent residency after the implementation of Canadian Experience Class in September this year, hopefully.

This short-term solution to fulfill the needs of Canadian labor market will not only provide an option to those international students already studying in Canada and intend to remain in Canada but also attract more international students to stay and build their lives in Canada. This will in turn help increase Canadian competitiveness in global market for international students.