Last January 22, 2024, the IRCC announced a series of reforms affecting international students in Canada, one of them related to the eligibility of graduates of university programs with public-private curricular licensing agreements to the Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) as of September 1, 2024. But according to an informative update posted on March 22 this year on the official IRCC website, this reform will now come into effect on May 15, 2024 and not on September 1 as announced. 

In Immiland Canada, we have been aware of this and all the news and changes that are emerging from the Canadian government to inform our clients and users in general in a timely manner so that they can expedite their procedures in a timely manner and can make their application successfully, as well as offer alternative migratory routes in case of not being able to submit their documentation in time due to changes that are solely in the hands of the authorities of the country. Therefore, please read this article below.

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International students who begin this type of program on or after May 15, 2024 will not be eligible for the PGWP.

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This new deadline is crucial for those involved, but this news does not mean that international students in these university programs with a public-private curriculum agreement will not have access to other permits, as the change in the criteria for the PGWP does not establish that there is any impediment for the international graduate to apply for a different type of work permit upon graduation.

For example, it is possible to apply for a work permit supported by a labour impact assessment (LMIA) if there are occupations facing labour shortages in Canada. So, the call is for calm, because, as we always reiterate in Immiland, where a door closes in immigration, a window opens. 

In addition, IRCC states that it will continue to work with provinces and territories to proactively identify programs that have been affected by the clarification and will update this list as additional information is received from them. See official statement here.

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Lack of oversight of educational quality may be the reason for this deadline change.

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For several months now, the Canadian government has expressed enormous concern about the quality of education that international students receive at these institutions and the unsustainable growth that the International Student Program has been claiming in recent years. Also, in 2023, major changes were made to the cost of living threshold for these students, meaning that the government is pointing to many inconsistencies in what is the educational concept that Canada has offered for decades and what it is actually reflecting. All this is being taken into account to reduce the income of this student population so that it is more manageable to control this situation and Canada retakes the standard that has placed it as one of the best countries in providing a very high level of education.

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The importance of PGWP in Canada

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The PGWP is an open work permit for international students who graduated from a designated Canadian learning institution(DLI). A DLI is a post-secondary school in Canada authorized by the government to accept international students, they are the only institutions that can receive them, and they offer their holders the opportunity to work for almost any employer in Canada.

The importance of the PGWP is that, upon receipt of the permit, international graduates will have the benefit of gaining professional work experience in Canada, which can be advantageous for those wishing to become permanent residents.

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We hope this information will be very useful so that you can complete your paperwork on time and make important decisions on your immigration path to Canada. Remember that we have a team specialized in all types of visas. If you would like a regulated consultant from Immiland to take your case and analyze with you your immigration options according to your profile, write to us at Info@immilandcanada.com. You can explore our website https://www.immilandcanada.com/ and schedule an express immigration consultation here.

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With love,

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Immiland