Canada unveils new immigration class for international graduates and temporary foreign workers

As announced in its strategy for 2008, the department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has now introduced a new immigration category under Economic Class which will allow certain temporary foreign workers and international graduates with Canadian degrees and Canadian work experience to apply for permanent residence from within Canada, which was not possible at federal level previously.

The program, known as the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), will help address the immediate shortage of workers with specific trade skills by adding up to 12,000 workers from the talent pool of international graduates and certain temporary foreign workers in its first year of implementation.

Although, temporary foreign workers and international graduates will have to follow a different set of criteria to qualify for CEC, their selection will primarily be based on an assessment of their successful labor market integration and experience within Canadian society. Both types of applicants will also require a valid temporary resident status in Canada at the time of application and, depending on their occupational skill level, at least a basic or moderate language proficiency in one of Canada’s two official languages documented by IELTS and/or TEF.

For recent graduates at Canadian post-secondary institutions, it has made necessary that they have completed at least 2 academic years of post-secondary study program at the institution qualifying for post-graduate work permit and at least 12 months of work experience in Canada acquired after graduation (but within 2 years prior to CEC application) and exclusively in NOC Skill Levels 0, A or B.

For work permit holders, it has made necessary that they have at least secondary school diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship plus 2 years of full time work experience in Canada in Skill Levels 0, A or B acquired within 3 years prior to CEC application.

Unlike other existing programs under the Economic Class, CEC follows a simple pass or fail model instead of a point system. If a prospective applicant fulfills minimum program requirements, he/she would be considered eligible.

Many of the proposed elements of the new CEC class are subject to change. However, it has been estimated that if the potential of CEC is properly addressed, it will also remove the ongoing requirement to apply for visa extensions for students or workers on temporary status or the need to comply with the labor market opinion renewal process, which is also experiencing impractical and increasing processing delays throughout Western Canada.

CEC is expected to expand the benefits of immigration to smaller communities across Canada wanting to attract immigrants and support their settlement and integration by their own.

This initiative, combined with recent changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWP), the establishment of Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO), increased investment in essential settlement services and recent amendments to Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), will not only enhance Canada’s ability to compete with other countries to attract and retain the best individuals with diverse skills from around the world, but also assist employers across the country to capitalize on the skills and experience of these individuals.

Primarily, this program will be limited to those who have legally entered Canada. Undocumented workers and those without continued legal status will not have access to the program.

Canadian Experience Class is part of national strategy on international graduates and temporary foreign works, and key element of government’s long-term immigration plan. Through the Canadian Experience Class, newcomers will be more likely to make the most of their abilities while undergoing a more seamless social and economic transition to Canada. And, in turn, their cultural and economic contributions will enrich Canada.

Critics call the program unfair because it excludes many temporary foreign workers such as unskilled laborers, factory workers and farmers.