Recently released immigration policies regarding employment opportunities in Canada for international, post-graduate students, have been released. According to the reports, non-Canadian students will no longer be obliged to stay in the country as they wait for the verification and approval of their Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP).
Starting from 21st February, graduates who have met the conditions to work in Canada without a permit can continue with their employment pursuits whether they travel out and re-enter the country.
International scholars need to satisfy one significant condition if they wish to obtain a PGWP: To make an application for the document before their student visa expires. Once they successfully pass through this, they can enjoy full-time employment. Usually, the processing time of the permit takes up to three (3) months.
For post-graduates to continue to work in Canada without a permit, they need to meet several requirements. They include:
- They held a valid student permit when they applied for their PGWP.
- They have completed all their academic courses and successfully gotten a degree, diploma, or certificate.
- They were full-time students, for at least half a year, at a legally registered learning institution when they applied for the work permit. It may be any tertiary institution, ranging from a post-secondary, technical, vocational, or professional training.
- Their working time during their study program was less than 20 hours per week.
- Some students may fail to obtain a PGWP at the discretion of the federal government. When this happens, the applicant must cease working immediately s/he receives the alert from the ministry of immigration.
