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CANADA IMMIGRATION MINISTER ‘SEAN FRASER’ HAS ANNOUNCED AN EXTENSION OF WORK PERMITS FOR PGWP HOLDERS

The Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) enables international students to gain Canadian work experience, which can help them transition to permanent resident status.

Canadian Immigration Minister Sean Fraser has announced that from April 6, 2023, individuals with an expired Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) will be able to apply for an extension of their Open Work Permit.

The Open Work Permit extension is available to anyone whose PGWP expires in 2023. It is also available to those whose PGWP is due to expire in 2022 and who applied for an extension of their IRCC Open Work Permit last year.

Beginning April 6th, candidates can apply for an extension on her IRCC website. Applicants will be sent an email with a temporary work permit that they can present to their employer to continue working legally in Canada. A person whose legal status in Canada has expired must apply for reinstatement of that status at the same time, even if the status expired outside of the 90-day grace period provided by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). I can. This means that as early as April 6th she can regain status while still receiving her provisional Open Work Permit.

Starting April 6, the IRCC says it will send a message to those eligible for renewal inviting them to log into their secure online IRCC account.

A Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) is available to international students pursuing an eligible educational program at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in Canada.

DLIs are colleges, universities, and other educational institutions approved by the government to accept international students. The PGWP allows international graduates to work for their employer of choice in Canada for up to three years (the duration of the PGWP is determined by the length of the educational program completed by the international graduate).

PGWP is very popular with international students due to the nature of Canada’s business class immigration program.

Many of these programs reward candidates for studying or working in Canada.

This is because Statistics Canada research has shown that such study and work experience helps support the integration into the labor market of international students who become permanent residents of Canada.

A combination of education and work experience in Canada, improving English or French skills, and developing social networks in Canada is believed to contribute to the economic integration of these immigrant candidates. Therefore, for certain methods such as B. Federal Express Entry System, those who have studied and worked in Canada can earn more points.

In addition, there are special routes for international graduates at the state level, such as through the State Nominee Program (PNP).

Most international students in Canada are interested in applying for permanent residency.

Canada’s openness to global talent, including an increase in immigration, has contributed to an increase in international student enrollment.

Canada has welcomed over 800,000 international students by the end of 2022. This is the best record ever. PGWP holders easily make up the majority of Temporary Residents (TRs) transitioning to Permanent Residents (PRs).

In 2022, about 98,000 of his PGWP holders will be permanent residents, accounting for about 82% of all TRs turned PR.

Canada expects a record 465,000 new permanent residents in 2023, and that number will rise to its 500,000 targets in 2025.

Although Canada has no TR targets willing to transition to PR, Secretary Fraser has reiterated his desire to facilitate such a transition.

One of Secretary Fraser’s priorities is to enable more TR to PR transitions via Express Entry, as outlined in a power of attorney sent by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Due to the strong demand for PGWP holders to obtain permanent residency, the IRCC has made two exceptions in recent years to allow people with expired PGWPs to apply for an extension of their Open Work Permit.

The purpose of these exemptions was to give these individuals more time to increase their chances of obtaining permanent residency.

A final exception applies to those whose PGWP expired between September 2021 and the end of December 2022.

The IRCC notes that Canada had over 286,000 of her PGWP holders at the end of 2022. About 127,000 PGWPs will expire in 2023, but about 67,000 PGWP holders have already applied for permanent residency and will not need to renew their work permits through this initiative.

 

Source: https://www.cicnews.com/category/immigrate (For more information)

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