June 14th, 2024 at 05:07 am

Huge Changes to PGWP Program 2024 – Canada International Students Latest Update

There will soon be modifications to the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program. Through the PGWP, graduates of Canadian universities can obtain useful work experience in the country, which frequently acts as a springboard for permanent residence. Students and academic institutions alike are keen to comprehend the possible ramifications of the program’s impending changes.

Experts are offering their opinions on the potential implications of these modifications and the necessary actions to guarantee that the program effectively supports international graduates in the future.

Post-Graduation Work Permits

According to Immigration Minister Mark Miller, the existing regulations primarily limit citizenship by descent to the first generation, leaving out certain individuals who have a real connection to Canada. Whether or not their studies are pertinent to what the Canadian economy requires, international students have had the freedom to pursue any postsecondary program and still be eligible for an open work visa upon graduation for more than ten years.

However, with the cap in place to control the number of overseas students, that is going to change. Immigration Minister Mark Miller has previously alluded to impending modifications to the regulations governing work permits after graduation.

These permits are credited with Canada’s explosive increase in international enrollment and have helped make the nation a popular choice for international students. Experts, however, contend that Ottawa should employ them to meet the demands of the Canadian labor market and to give a more transparent route to permanent residence.

Miller said at a press conference following a recent meeting with his provincial counterparts that it is evident that more work has to be done in regards to international students and the issue of post-graduate work permits.

I told the provinces to bring us the data we’ll be accommodating when they stated they needed post-graduate work permits to extend the date for individuals in the healthcare industry and specific trades. One of the biggest draws for students to come study here has been the availability of an unrestricted work permit to stay in Canada after graduation.

The immigration system favors individuals with Canadian job experience and educational credentials since it has enticed more and more candidates who are currently citizens to become permanent residents.

Further Details

Recruiters have long portrayed postsecondary education as a quick route to immigration to Canada, which has led to an exponential increase in international enrollment and pressure on the housing market and other resources.

In response to criticism from the public, Miller implemented a two-year limit in January on the number of study licenses granted to each province to control the number of international applicants, which exceeded one million in the previous year. Canada is making it a priority to better match the labor market with the streams of economic immigration.

Additionally, Miller has been giving permanent residence applications from people with experience in the medical field, trades, transportation, science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), agriculture, and agrifood a higher priority.

Experts’ Response to New Changes

According to experts, regaining the integrity of the International Education Program, increasing the caliber of individuals applying for permanent residence, and matching postgraduate work permits with labor demands might all be accomplished with the help of this system.

The post-graduation work permit program underwent significant modifications in April 2008, enabling new graduates to get an open work permit for a maximum of three years, contingent on the duration of their program of study. This permit is unrestricted in terms of study location or requirement for a job offer.

Because of this, a growing number of foreign students are choosing shorter, less expensive courses at universities that have little to do with meeting Canada’s labor demands, leaving them stuck in low-paying positions in restaurants, retail stores, and gas stations.

According to a recent CBC investigation, more than any other sector, business-related programs accounted for 27% of all study permits that the immigration service awarded between 2018 and 2023. However, only 6% of all permits were awarded to international students enrolled in programs in health sciences, medicine, or biological and biomedical sciences; the remaining 1.25% were awarded to students in trades and vocational training.

What Do the Experts Say?

According to Kareem Alisal, the government could easily change the length of international graduates’ post-graduation work permits based on the programs they enrolled in, encouraging them to pursue degrees in fields where there is a shortage of workers by extending the permits for foreign students with backgrounds in these fields while shortening them for those in fields where there is an excess of labor.

The creator of Section 95, a website that examines Canada’s immigration laws, claimed that by encouraging students to pursue study in the targeted fields, the number of immigration candidates with the necessary abilities would rise and Canada would have more candidates. It will include balancing the demand and matching the talents of incoming students with our requirements in light of the mentioned immigration scheme.

Changes to PGWP

Miller stopped granting work permits to international graduates of public-private college partnerships in January, which is one of the modifications she made to the post-graduation work permit program. The minister has attributed the increase in international enrollment to these partnerships. Additionally, he increased the duration of work permits for master’s program graduates to three years, but only for the spouses of foreign students enrolled in post-graduate programs.

That was a wise decision, according to Barbara Jo Caruso, co-president of the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association. Programs that are appropriate for the current labor needs should be identified. She suggested that those schools ought to include a route for post-graduation work permits if there is a high demand for nurses or computer programmers.

To make it work, Kusza cautioned, immigration officials must communicate to potential students which academic programs are eligible for post-graduation work authorization and prominently display this information on the study permit so that the individual can decide if they still plan to come to this country. She stated that if the government wasn’t transparent, the International Education Program as a whole would suffer.

Since most students learn through apprenticeships and the postsecondary sector might not have the infrastructure and capacity to deliver trained trades personnel, Kanir Sierra expressed worry that limiting post-graduation work permits to specific programs will have minimal effect on the supply chain of skilled trades workers.

It’s possible that you are overlooking a large number of jobs and that you are just focusing on 10% of trade jobs that require a formal degree. stated Sierra, who is also advocating for a revision to state apprenticeship schemes.

Final Changes

Miller declared in March that by 2027, he aimed to cut the number of temporary residents in Canada from the current 25 million, which included thousands of people with work permits pending graduation, by 20%, or 500,000 people.

It is clear from our conclusion that these alterations have important ramifications. Together, let’s make sure that there is clarity, effectiveness, and assistance for overseas graduates.