Canada Narrows Permanent Residency Path for International Students | Canada Immigration

The route to permanent residency in Canada, formerly considered a somewhat simple one, has grown more difficult for overseas students. Due to recent changes in immigration laws, more stringent qualifying requirements, and increased competition, many individuals hoping to become permanent citizens of Canada are facing obstacles in their quest.

This blog examines how the environment is changing for overseas students, the main drivers of legislative changes, and the implications of these developments for individuals wishing to settle permanently in Canada.

Introduction

With its immigration procedures offering a route to permanent residency, Canada has long been a popular choice for overseas students. 396,000 individuals had received Post-Graduation Work Permits from the nation by the end of 2023. Tens of thousands of these people, many of whom have spent years establishing a life in Canada, are now worried about their future due to recent changes in immigration laws.

In addition, the government of Canada plans to bring in some 305,000 qualified workers under the economic immigration category by 2024 to support important industries. Nevertheless, many temporary residents—including international graduates on PGWP—are discovering that they do not meet the new requirements for permanent residency despite this seemingly ambitious target.

Many in this community who had intended to settle in Canada permanently are feeling anxious and frustrated because a large number of them now have no options due to this policy reversal.

International Students on the Path to PR: A Shifting Landscape

International students have been coming to Canada for years with the idea that completing their studies here and obtaining work experience would lead to permanent residency. One important requirement of Canada’s immigration process is that students must complete their education and obtain significant work experience in Canada. The PGWP has made this possible for these students.

For many students, this was the ideal chance to go from temporary status to permanent residence. But between 2021 and 2023, things took a significant turn for the worse when Canada granted permanent residence to 990,000 PGWP holders and temporary workers as a last-ditch effort to fill labor shortages during the epidemic. Later, these policy elements were removed.

Furthermore, there have been major changes to the requirements for gaining PR through the Express Entry system, which assigns candidates a rating system based on a thorough evaluation process. Priority was given to French speakers and people working in industries such as healthcare, skilled crafts, agriculture, transportation, and STEM professions rather than those with training and experience specific to Canada.

Tens of thousands of overseas graduates are currently feeling the effects of these developments, as their PGWP is about to expire and their path to permanent residency is closing. The focus on lowering the number of temporary residents and low-wage foreign workers means that experts anticipate between 70,000 and 130,000 PGWP holders will see their permits expire in 2024 and 2025, with minimal possibility of Visa extensions or PR invitations.

The Human Toll of Immigration Policy Changes

People who have been studying, working, and paying taxes here for years are suddenly experiencing a great deal of anxiety, according to Vasan Vitesh, a law professor at the University of Windsor who specializes in immigration law. They entered the nation through student programs, which legislators may have offered as a means of obtaining permanent residence.

Peace meal-style rule modifications are now announced every few weeks, and they have a significant impact on the people who are already here. Many people are in a state of uncertainty as a result of this ambiguity, not knowing if they will be forced to leave Canada after years of schooling and professional experience. The effects are extensive, especially for people whose PGWPs are about to expire and they don’t have a chance to switch to PR

Mechanical engineer Sarabjit Singh, originally from Punjab, India, moved to Canada in 2020 to study for a certificate in business administration at the Branton campus of Aloma University. He thought, like many other international students, that getting a Canadian credential would improve his prospects of getting permanent residence.

He was left stuck in the system, nevertheless, when PR drawings for the Canadian Experience Class were put on hold between August 2021 and May 2024. His PGWP is about to expire in September, and he is now employed as a machinist in Brampton. He is not sure what to do at this time. A few were fortunate! The PGWP was extended to them.

A few of them even received immediate publicity. I was unfortunate to have to pay a high tuition and have been working very hard to pay my taxes. What went wrong with me? Singh revealed in frustration.

Mayak Deep Singh, who attended Fleming College in Peterborough to become an HVAC technician before moving to North Bay to work as a baker to be eligible for the Provincial Nominee Program, has also had difficulty adjusting to the new immigration laws. In July, his PGWP expired without a press invitation. He is currently in Canada on a visitor’s visa and is unsure about his future there.

Immigration Experts Warn of Non-Transparent PR Selection

Many international grads feel alone because of the present immigration system’s unpredictability. According to Mcal Cutan, an economist at the University of Waterloo, the PR selection process has become extremely opaque and unpredictable, meaning that no one knows the likelihood of a successful transfer to permanent residency at this time.

We do know that the government will not extend the validity of expiring visas, so many people will now be in a predicament where they must either leave or remain in Canada without proper documentation.

Because the licenses have variable durations, Skuter and other experts estimate that 131,000 PGWP might expire in 2024 alone. However, the precise number is yet unknown. Many of these people, despite their contributions to Canada’s economy and society, are forced to confront the painful reality of having to leave the country.

70,000 PGWP holders could be forced to leave Canada in 2024 or 2025, according to the Brampton-based labor advocacy group Nolan Support Network, unless significant policy changes are achieved. These figures show the loss of both people and a trained labor force, on which Canada has significantly depended, especially during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Rising Frustration and Calls for Fair Pathways

The need for policy reform in Brampton is growing along with the number of international graduates whose PGWPs have expired. A protest site has been established by impacted individuals, such as Sarab Singh and Mayak Deep Singh, who are calling for fair pathways to permanent residency and visa extensions.

They are pushing for frequent PR draws from all Express Entry streams so that foreign graduates who have been living, learning, and working in Canada for a while can be granted the opportunity to remain for an extended period.

According to Palm I Gill, a labor lawyer in Toronto and a member of the Nalan Support Network, the government portrayed education as a method of obtaining permanent residency rather than as an end in and of itself. Their tagline was “Work, Study, Explore, Stay.”

No one from India or anywhere else would have ever traveled to Canada only to pay astronomical tuition at a mediocre private career college located in a conspicuous strip mall, and then take their leave. They have come to stay according to the conditions the administration has imposed.

The Dark Side of the Exploitation and LMIA Scams

As PGWP holders’ need grows, a sneaky tendency has emerged: bad actors are preying on pupils who are weaker than themselves. Scammy job recruiters are taking advantage of the despair of many international grads who are out of choices by making false job offers through the Labor Market Impact Assessment process.

For as much as $35,000, these LMIAs are being marketed to desperate graduates with the promise of a temporary work visa and exchange. Mayak Deep and Sarab J both had experiences of receiving large-scale work offers from LMIAs that they had to turn down because of the outrageous rates. Paths that appear to help these students remain in the country are being offered to them, but in actuality, many of these lead to dead ends and more exploitation, not a Gil.

These students are offered each of these courses as a means of preserving their status and continuing their careers, but the majority of people will eventually reach a dead end on one of these paths, exposing them to more debt and exploitation in the process.

Temporary Solutions: Long-term Problems

In January, Ottawa stopped providing PGWP to students from schools using a public-private partnership model and set a two-year limit on admissions for international students. This adjustment was made with a focus on private colleges that have seen an increase in enrollment from overseas students as a result of partnerships with public universities.

Experts such as Dr. Venkatesh contend, however, that these changes to the law don’t address the pressing issues of the PGWP expiring or the absence of a permanent residency route for individuals who are currently in Canada. When we were having trouble finding workers, we wanted these folks in. Now, however, we are backtracking on our promise of a PR pathway and driving them out. According to her, giving them PR status is the correct thing to do.

For a long time, other countries have looked to Canada’s immigration policy as a model, especially because of its emphasis on economic integration through initiatives like the PGWP. But this story has been clouded by the recent policy changes and the confusion they have caused. Once thought to be important for Canada’s economic and demographic future, tens of thousands of foreign graduates now risk having to return home without the permanent status they were promised.

Further Details

As these people keep speaking out, the government will have to deal with the mounting unhappiness and come up with solutions that respect the promises given to those who made Canada their home and added their expertise and well-earned education to the nation’s workforce. Action is required before more gifted people are lost to the very system that previously welcomed them, whether through policy reform, visa extensions, or assured Pathways to PR.

The path to permanent residency for overseas students becomes more difficult as Canada tightens its immigration laws. It will take careful preparation and keeping up with the most recent developments to navigate these shifts. While moving to Canada may still be a possibility, international students need to approach obtaining permanent status in this cutthroat and changing environment with greater strategy and initiative.