This blog discusses the recent announcement about Open Work Permit Extensions made at an event at Humber College in Etobicoke, Ontario.
Canadian immigration minister Sean Fraser, along with Etobicoke-Lakeshore Member of Parliament (MP) James Maloney, announced that Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) would let eligible international student graduates whose Post Graduate Work Permits (PGWP) are about to expire to file an application for an Open Work Permit extension of up to 18 months.
Eligible candidates can apply online for this extension from 6 April. What’s important to note here is that it’s for everyone whose permit expired in 2022 and who applied for an Open Work Permit extension last year. Plus, international student graduates whose permits will expire in 2023 can also go for this extension.
It is safe to say this is an important announcement for Canadian immigration since the PGWP continues to play a significant role in getting many international students closer to Canadian permanent residency. Permit holders will keep making positive contributions to the Canadian economy because of the PGWP extension while obtaining the required work experience to transition to Canadian permanent residency.
Data from Statistics Canada released in 2022 stated that the issuance of the PGWP increased by six times in the ten-year period that ended in 2018. The annual figure of new PGWP holders was 10,300 in 2008 and 64,700 in 2018.
What Is The PGWP?
International student graduates enrolled in eligible programs at a Canadian designated learning institution (DLI) can use PGWPs to work in Canada for a maximum of three years, according to the length of the program the PGWP holder graduated from.
PGWP holders can acquire one year of Canadian work experience through this permit to qualify for Canadian permanent residency.
It’s no secret that most of the economic immigration programs offered by Canada reward candidates who possess sufficient Canadian work experience. It includes the Federal government’s Express Entry system, which gives extra Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points to candidates because they have Canadian work experience.
Now the PGWP has become a notable part of many candidates’ journey to Canadian permanent residency from temporary residence, especially because a lot of international students in Canada are eager to obtain PR.
It should be noted nearly 82% of PGWP holders, i.e., 98000 permit holders transitioned from temporary residence to permanent residence in 2022.
We hope you found this information helpful. Follow our blogs for the latest updates and informative content on Canadian immigration.
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