Major changes for this fall for International Students
International students will be able to enroll in online courses while abroad this fall and still be eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit after moving to Canada. Flexibility in post-graduation work permit rules to help international students and Canadian post-secondary institutions.
Canada just announced has a major change to its Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) rules for international students who want to study in Canada beginning this fall. The PGWP enables international students to gain Canadian work experience after completing their educational program at a Canadian designated learning institution (DLI).
International students must have completed a full-time program of at least eight months in length at a DLI in order to be eligible for the PGWP. Their study program must have lead to a diploma, degree, or certificate. The ultimate length of the PGWP depends on the length of the student’s program of study in Canada.
This fall students can begin program online, and you will still be eligible for a 3-year PGWP after coming to Canada.
Normally, online courses do not count toward the study requirement for a PGWP application. However, given COVID 19 travel interruptions around the world, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is now allowing international students to study online while overseas and will still be eligible to apply for the work permit after graduation as long as the online component is not more than 50 percent of the course studies.
However as announced on May 14, 2020 new international students will be able to begin their programs at a Canadian DLI online in fall 2020 and complete up to 50 per cent of the program while abroad, and then still be able to obtain the PGWP to work in Canada after completing their studies.
International students will not have the online time deducted from the length of their PGWP for the period they spent outside of Canada, up to December 31, 2020.
New international student can begin their program at a Canadian DLI online this coming fall, and still be eligible for a PGWP for the maximum three years so long as they arrived to Canada by the end of 2020 and completed a qualifying educational program at a DLI of at least two years in duration.
How this may impact you:
The PGWP is a unique opportunity for international students since it enables them to work in Canada for up to three years after completing their studies as well as work up to 20 hours per week during their studies and full time during breaks. In many cases their work experience after graduation will enable them to transition to Permanent status under several categories.
Under Express Entry’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), for example, former international students are rewarded with additional CRS points for their Canadian education and work experience. In addition there are numerous of Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams also available to assist international student’s transition to permanent residence. This major announcement will encourage more international students to pursue their studies in Canada.
As well you will benefit by starting your studies abroad by saving living expenses in Canada while you wait to come to Canada.
Here are some reasons you may want to consider coming to Canada as an international student:
Canada offers a very high quality of education and may offer a path to Permanent status students and their spouses and partners can work during and after their studies;
Canada is a very safe country;
Canada welcomes immigrants, international students, foreign workers, and visitors from some 200 countries each year; and
Canada is affordable See Government Link attached: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices/pgwpp-rules-covid19.html