There is some real good news for Indian students studying in Canada. The Canadian government has implemented changes to the Post Graduation Work Permit program and its going to impact international students including those from India.

 

Post-Graduation Work Permit
Post-Graduation Work Permit

A Post-Graduation Work Permit is an open work permit that is issued to international students who’ve completed an eligible study program in Canada. Previously, most international students who completed a Canadian study program longer than eight months were eligible for Post-Graduation Work Permits.

However, starting September 1, 2024, international students who start a study program offered by a public-private partnership (PPP) institution as part of a curriculum licensing agreement will not be eligible for PGWPs after graduation.

The government has in this case observed that the Public Private Partnership colleges don’t deliver quality education and the private colleges teach the curriculum made by the associated public college and therefore the revenue is shared among them. The government has noted that in a large number of cases the private colleges have taken advantage of the situation and have indulged in profiteering. Therefore to stop the over commercialisation of education by such colleges the government has taken these measures.

The single most important feature of the program is its extension to three years for all types masters courses. This is going to really effect aspiring Indian students who want to come to Canada for higher studies and plan to work.The graduates of master’s degree programs will now qualify for a three-year work permit. Previously, the length of a PGWP was determined by the length of the applicant’s study program, and as a result, graduates of master’s programs were only eligible for one or two-year PGWPs. Increasing the length of PGWPs issued to master’s graduates will give them more time to gather Canadian work experience and qualify for permanent residence programs.

The most significant changes of the Post Graduation work Permit are:
1. Spousal Work Permit: The work permit eligibility criteria has been modified. The change introduces new caps on the Spousal Work Permits issued to the spouses of international students. Earlier, the spouses of international students enrolled in eligible full-time Canadian study programs were eligible for spousal work permits. But now, the Spousal Work Permit will only be available to spouses of master’s and doctoral students and students enrolled in professional programs, such as law and medicine.
2. Bad news for Diploma Course students: The Indian students enrolled in certificate, diploma or undergraduate courses will not be eligible to Post Graduation Work Permit. This new rule will take effect from September 1st 2024. This news will severely impact students enrolled in these programs by seriously effecting there employment prospects.
3.Duration increase: The increase in the duration of the work permit to three years will give the Indian students enrolled in the Post Graduations courses ample time to obtain more work experience, which will in turn effect the student’s future work and employment prospects. The increased duration will also facilitate the student’s path to Permanent Residency.
4, Good news for students in short PG programs: The new version of the Post Graduation Work Permit program brings in a new reason to cheer for the Indian students enrolled in the shorter Post Graduation Study Programs, as it make them eligible for the work permits, which was not allowed in the previous version of the program. This will give these students new ways to find jobs and would open up a new world of professional opportunities.
These changes are introduced with an aim to increase the enrollment of international students and retaining their talent in Canada. The extended period of the work permit aims to open up new opportunities for international students to find employment and gain valuable experiences in their path to Permanent residency. The changes will also help the Canadian colleges with increased enrollments and also purport to make the overall Canadian education landscape as attractive and welcoming.