Mar 22, 2023
Great News for Foreign nationals with expired or expiring post-graduation work permits in Canada.
An extension of post-graduation work permits for up to 18 months has been announced, in a bid to attract and retain high-skilled talent. The move will benefit international students who have graduated from a Canadian institution, allowing them to gain valuable work experience in Canada and increase their chances of qualifying for permanent residency.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Honourable Sean Fraser on 17th March, Friday. He said that the extended post-graduation work permits would help attract and retain the best and brightest talent from around the world who choose to Study in Canada.
The permits will be available to eligible international students, and they will be valid for up to 18 months, up from the current maximum of 3 years.
These measures will go into effect on April 6, 2023. Foreign nationals who were qualified for the 2022 PGWP facilitative measure and whose PGWP had already expired in 2023 will also be able to apply for an additional 18-month work permit. Even after the 90-day restoration window has passed, people with expired work permits can still get their status back. They will also get a temporary work clearance while waiting for their new work permit application to be processed.
These measures will allow Canada to retain highly skilled workers and PGWP holders who wish to remain longer in opting into a facilitative process to extend their work permit.
The move is aimed at addressing labour shortages in high-demand sectors such as technology and health care, where there is a need for skilled workers. The Canadian government has also introduced other measures to attract and retain international talent, including a new pathway to permanent residency for essential workers and international graduates.
The extended post-graduation work permits are expected to help Canadian universities and colleges attract and retain international students, who are a significant source of revenue for the Canadian education system. Canada is home to more than 600,000 international students, and the Higher Education Abroad sector contributes over $22 billion to the Canadian economy each year.
The announcement has been welcomed by the education sector, which has been advocating for an extension of post-graduation work permits for several years. The move is expected to enhance Canada's reputation as a welcoming destination for international talent and help the country remain competitive in the global market.
To sum up, the extension of post-graduation work permits is a positive step towards retaining high-skilled talent in Canada, which will help to address labour shortages and drive economic growth.