In most cases, International students in Canada rely on the highly revered post-graduate work permit (PGWP) to get jobs after their graduation, as experience in the long run help them earn essential points in Canada’s Express Entry path to permanent residence.
However, since the advent of COVID-19 pandemic, holders of PGWPs have been encountering inability to find jobs or being asked to leave jobs in Canada, as such, many graduates have watched their time-dependent permits expire without having the opportunity to utilise them.
Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship has announced a short-term policy that will permit students under this category to apply for a new permit that will be valid for another 18 months.
Though the labour market is still unpredictable, the policy is a step in the right direction and offers international students who are already in Canada and have laboured to get Canadian experience an extended lifeline.
International students contribute over $21 billion annually to the economy of Canada and they leverage on their education as a stepping stone to acquiring permanent residence in Canada.
