Canada is consulting with the provinces on future changes to Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP) in a bid to both cut down on the number of international grads working while on these permits in Canada and still meet the labour needs of employers.
Among the questions included in a letter sent to the provinces is one which asks whether the eligibility criteria for the PGWP should apply this year or grandfather existing international students so that they can still get these work permits once they graduate.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is also asking the provinces which groups of international students, if any, should be exempt from these upcoming changes to the PGWP and how often the occupational shortage list should be revised.
Other questions in the letter sent to the provinces include requests for suggestions as to any additional criteria that might be required of international students, such as language skills, to qualify for a PGWP – and asking if international students should be required to prove the job offer they have received does indeed align with an occupational shortage.
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Last year, the number of international students granted study permits in Canada shot up 70.6 per cent to 683,585 from 400,590 in 2022, the latest IRCC data shows.
Under pressure to curb inflation, particularly in the housing sector, Immigration Minister Marc Miller placed a cap on study permit applications this year.
The cap of 606,250 study permit applications in this year for new international students is expected to result in a drop of 40 per cent in the number of new international students in Canada, with only 292,000 such applications now expected to be approved by the end of this year.
Despite changes to the PGWP, Canadian immigration officials have been noting international students will still be able to apply for regular work permits upon graduation.
“The change in post-graduation work permit criteria does not prevent a graduate of one of these programs from applying for a different type of work permit upon graduation,” notes the IRCC.
“For occupations that face a labour shortage in Canada, a graduate could apply for a work permit supported by an employer’s approved Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), for example.”
International students are able to work on campus without a work permit while completing their studies if:
- they have a valid study permit;
- are full-time students at a post-secondary public school (college or university, or CEGEP in Quebec), or at a private college-level school in Quebec that operates under the same rules as public schools and is at least 50 per cent funded by government grants, or at a Canadian private school that can legally award degrees under provincial law, and;
- have a Social Insurance Number.
Study Permits Allow International Students To Work Off Campus
International students are also usually able to work off-campus without a work permit while completing their studies – when the current liftin of the 20-hour rule is not in effect – if:
- they have a valid study permit;
- are full-time students in a designated learning institution (a post-secondary program, or in Quebec at a vocational program at the secondary level as well);
- their study program is academic, vocational or professional, it lasts at least six months and leads to a degree, diploma or certificate;
- they are only working up to a maximum of 20 hours per week during regular academic sessions, and full time during scheduled breaks (for example, winter and summer holidays or spring break).
Certain study programs include work requirements such as co-op or internships. In such cases, a work permit is required in order for the foreign student to be able to complete the work.
International students are able to travel and work in Canada for up to one year through the International Experience Canada if:
- they are between the ages of 18 and 35 and;
- their country of origin has an agreement with Canada.
