On 7th December, 2023. Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada has made many statements concerning Canada’s foreign student program. Part of it is that the division has verified that it will not provide any extra prolongment to post-graduation work permit holders. Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada has extensively provided Post-Gradution Work Permit work permit prolongment in recent years. It presented the standard after labor market turmoil triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and during the post-pandemic recovery. It helped post-graduation work permit holders keep working in Canada while Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) was undergoing processing delays and held express entry draws.
The standard was significantly prolonged, with the last one on 6th April for post-graduation worker permit holders whose tickets are ready to expire before 31st December 2023. The prolongment is an open work permit that is accurate for one year and six months. Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada points out that Post Graduation Work permits elapsing on or before 31st December are still qualified for the prolongment.
Post-graduation work permits authorize international students to remain in Canada and get employed when they finish their education. The permit is accurate for three years, based on the applicant’s educational course duration, and the unique prolongment can not be renewed.
Last year, in 2022, 98,000 post-graduation work permits became PR. This was nearly 82 percent of every temporary resident who was PR. Furthermore, by the time the data for 2022 was discharged, Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada calculated that in 2023, there would be 268,000 post-graduation work permit holders in Canada, while 127,000 permits would no longer be valid.
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How Does This Affect Express-entry Applicants
The Express entry is one of the most well-known choices for post-graduation work permit holders wanting to obtain PR status in Canada. Many of them may worry about the end of prolongation as their post-graduation work permit expires. Applicants who have yet to receive an ITA (Invitation to Apply) and possess an elapsing post-graduation work permit may quickly forfeit their qualification to get employed in Canada. The current unclarified stop in Express Entry draws, which was between 26th October and 6th December 2023, is triggering extra pressure for most post-graduation work permit holders in the Express Entry pool since, if you do not have an Invitation to Apply, they cannot make application for PR status or retained status while Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada run their requests.
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Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held three draws from 6th to 8th December. Hence, two draws include category-based selection draws for applicants with French-language skills and those with work skills in STEM professions. The every-program draw on 6th December requested 4,750 applicants with a CRS point of 561, higher than in previous all-program draws.
If Your PGWP Is Expiring
In this case, Express Entry applicants have some choice to remain in Canada while awaiting a conclusive judgment on their application from IRCC. Hence, they may still need an applicant to quit working while they await an Invitation to Apply and wait for Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to run their request.
Visitor Record
You can remain in Canada if you apply for a visitor record 30 days before your post-graduation work permit lapses. Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada declares a visitor record is naturally accurate for six months; however, this may differ between situations.
Application for Another Work Permit
Applicants can apply for a new work permit while waiting for an express entry draw. Even though this may take time and carry extra expenses, individuals who desire to maintain work can investigate their choices for a varied Open Work Permit. It can be feasible for an employer to receive a Labor Market Impact Assessment to employ an applicant via a closed work permit. This can be time-consuming and includes the expense to the employer; the permit holder will not be qualified to get employed by another employer.
If You Have Presented a Permanent Residence Application
Suppose you have presented your PR application but have yet to obtain a conclusive judgment from Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada. In that case, you may be qualified to make an application for a Bridging Open Work Permit. This Bridging Open Work Permit authorizes a permanent residence applicant to keep working in Canada as they await their IRCC’s conclusive judgment. This has occurred to the individuals who have applied via economic immigration plans, including those under express entry like PNP, Agri-Food pilot program, and Quebec Skilled Workers.
