Studying abroad in Canada allows students to apply for permanent residency status either during their time there or after they complete their degree. From Study Permit to Permanent Residency in 2024.
If they are eligible for the program and complete the conditions, overseas students in Canada have a lot of possibilities when it comes to becoming permanent residents.
After completing their studies in Canada, international students are not assured permanent residence. They can, however, increase their chances by being ready beforehand and being aware of the requirements needed to qualify for the several immigration routes.
International students can choose from a variety of options to permanent residence in Canada, as studies have shown that individuals with Canadian educations typically find success in the Canadian labor market. These pupils are thought to represent a potentially large pool of competent workers who can help Canada’s labor market demands. Employers in Canada also respect the local training and work experience that overseas students obtain while studying here.
Many international students apply for a Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) after completing their studies in Canada. International students can work practically anywhere in Canada for almost any business thanks to the PGWP, which grants them an open work permit.
Students may be eligible for a PGWP if they:
- Completed studies in an academic, vocational or professional training program that is at least eight months long at an eligible Designated Learning Institution (DLI) List. The study program must lead to a degree, diploma or certificate
- Held full-time student status in Canada during every academic session of the program or programs of study completed and included as part of their post-graduation work permit application
- Received a transcript and an official letter from the eligible DLI confirming that the applicant has met the requirements to complete their program of study
Because several of the paths reward candidates with Canadian work experience, the PGWP has the advantage of allowing overseas students to obtain the Canadian work experience required to qualify for permanent residence and to increase their competitiveness as immigration candidates to Canada.
Express Entry
Express Entry is an application management system that manages three federal skilled worker immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
The CEC is a permanent residence pathway for candidates who have worked in Canada. It is a popular option for international students who have gone on to obtain Canadian work experience.
To qualify for the CEC, an applicant needs to fulfill the requirements:
within 36 months of the application date, have completed at least one year of skilled, professional, or technical work experience in Canada; and meet or exceed a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 5 (“initial intermediate”) for NOC TEER category 2 or 3 jobs, or CLB 7 (“adequate intermediate proficiency”) for NOC TEER category 0 or 1 jobs.
If you intend to live and work outside of Quebec, you can apply to the Quebec Experience Class if you have job experience there and plan to stay there.
On the Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website, you can post a profile if you qualify for one of the programs. Based on variables including age, education, work experience, and language proficiency, candidates are assigned scores under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Applying for permanent residence is open to those with the best scores.
Applicants are more likely to be granted permanent residency if they have job experience or have finished an educational program in Canada, as these factors increase their CRS points.
Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)
The Provincial Nominee Program is run by almost all Canadian provinces and territories (PNP). The PNP gives the provinces and territories the authority to designate people who want to move to Canada and want to settle in a specific province.
Candidates who have studied and worked in Canada are rewarded in several PNP streams.
Quebec Experience Program (PEQ)
An applicant may qualify for immigration under the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) if they have studied in Quebec and would like to live there permanently. The PEQ offers a quick route for international graduates and those with work experience in Quebec to get a Quebec selection certificate (QSC), which is a federal government-mandated prerequisite for permanent residency.
Under the PEQ, overseas students who have completed their studies in Quebec may be qualified to apply for a CSQ if they:
- Show an intention to settle in Quebec to hold a job;
- Have stayed temporarily in Quebec for study;
- Have obtained an eligible degree or diploma from an educational institution recognized by the Quebec Ministry of Education within the past 36 months;
- Have studied in Quebec for at least 1,800 hours (two years)
- Hold a Masters, Bachelors or DEC diploma and have 12 months of work experience in a 0, A, B level job and to hold such a job at the time of application
- Hold a DEP and have 18 months of work experience in a 0, A, B or C level job and required to hold such a job at the time of application. Please note that C level work must be related to the degree.
Candidates must also demonstrate that they possess a level of proficiency in the French language to qualify for the PEQ.
Other permanent residence pathway options
Students who have studied in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland and Labrador may be eligible to apply for the Atlantic Immigration Program.
Comparably, overseas students who live in participating rural and northern towns across Canada are eligible for permanent residence under the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot.
For Hong Kong citizens who have studied in Canada, there are two permanent residency options available. This presents an additional alternative.
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