Canada Improves Flexibility for Study and Work Permits
Three new measures have been introduced to help individuals pursue Canadian study and work opportunities amid the coronavirus pandemic. Canada has recently introduced three big steps to support people wishing to find work and education opportunities in the country.
According to a news release published by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), international students, who are going to have their study programs online this fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic, can benefit from the measures introduced by the government.
As a student, you can now continue to study online while being abroad. The period of online studies will not be deducted from the length of your PGWP, as long as you complete a minimum of 50 percent of our studies in Canada.
- If you are registered for a study program for a length of up to 12 months and with a start date from May to September 2020, then no time will be deducted from the length of your Post Graduate Work Permit.
- Students participating in a program beginning from May to September 2020 and studying online until April 30, 2021, and graduating from more than one qualifying program will be able to extend the duration of their study programs while applying for a PGWP, providing that 50% of the study is done in Canada.
- The PGWP is strongly sought by anyone planning to study in Canada. Graduates can receive a PGWP for a cumulative period of three years after completing a qualifying program at a designated Canadian learning institution (e.g., a university or a college). The length of PGWP is based on the amount of time the person was studying at a Canadian DLI.
Get Help With Your Study or Work Permit
The PGWP encourages international graduates to work for any company in Canada. International students seeking to become permanent Canadian residents are hoping to use the Canadian work experience they obtain to increase their chances of Canadian immigration.
Having gained work experience in Canada will make a person qualify for other immigration routes, such as the Canadian Experience Class stream of Express Entry program. It can also award them extra points under the CRS system for Express Entry.
Due to the obvious outbreak and the new travel regulations in Canada, many foreign students are currently not in a situation to enter Canada. That was concerning for a variety of reasons. One argument is that online education could not count towards qualifying for PGWP until the pandemic occurred.
This fixed soon after the pandemic when IRCC introduced a range of steps enabling online learning to contribute towards qualification for PGWP. The last big announcement came in May as IRCC declared that it will be possible to count on online learning gained until December 31, 2020, for PGWP application.
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To benefit from these incentives, students must have submitted an application for a study permit before beginning a spring/summer/fall 2020 semester study program. Students would finally need to be approved for a study permit.
IRCC summarized its press statement by saying that Canada’s COVID-19 based limitations would be mitigated on the grounds of progress achieved in curbing the spread of coronavirus in Canada and abroad. IRCC will keep monitoring the situation in Canada and internationally, as it considers more improvements to be made.