Canada PR programs for international student grads in Canada

International students graduating from a Canadian post-secondary institution have many Canada immigration options open up for them.

There are multiple options available for an international student to stay on in the country after completing their study abroad in Canada.

A Canadian credential, along with Canadian work experience, makes an individual a prime candidate for the different Canada immigration pathways available.

An Educational Credential Assessment [ECA] — from a designated organization such as the World Education Services [WES] — will not be required for a Canadian degree, diploma, or certificate.

To be included in the federal Express Entry profile, an ECA report is used for the purposes of verifying that the foreign degree, diploma, or certificate etc. is valid and at par with a Canadian one.

While there are many kinds of ECAs available, an “ECA for immigration purposes” will be required for Canada immigration. Those graduating in Canada do not require an ECA.

A job offer in Canada will further enhance the possibilities for an individual.

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The options available for international student graduates in Canada include –

• Post-Graduation Work Permit Program [PGWPP]
• Express Entry
• Provincial Nominee Program [PNP]
• Quebec immigration
• Atlantic Immigration Pilot [AIP]

 

Post-Graduation Work Permit Program [PGWPP]

The PGWPP of Canada allows students that have graduated from any of the eligible Canadian Designated Learning Institutions [DLIs] to obtain an open work permit for gaining valuable Canadian work experience.

As per a policy update by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada [IRCC], “Due to COVID-19, you may be eligible to apply for a one-time open work permit of up to 18 months if you apply online by July 27, 2021.”   Those eligible include individuals with a temporary resident status in Canada, such as those in Canada on a valid PGWPP.

 

Skilled work experience in Canada – in National Occupational Classification [NOC] Skill Type 0 [zero] for management jobs, Skill Level A for professional jobs, or Skill Level B for technical jobs – gained through the PGWPP will make that individual eligible for the Canadian Experience Class [CEC].

The CEC is one of the three economic immigration programs managed by the federal government of Canada through IRCC Express Entry system.

With the COVID-19 pandemic situation, Canada has been focusing on individuals that are more likely to already be within Canada.

No all-program Express Entry draws have been held so far in 2021. Instead, IRCC draws have been alternating between the CEC and those with a provincial nomination.

Express Entry

The main Canada immigration pathway for economic-class immigrants, Express Entry system is an online application management system.

Three immigration programs that come under the IRCC Express Entry system –

• The Federal Skilled Worker Program [FSWP]
• The Federal Skilled Trades Program [FSTP]
• The Canadian Experience Class [CEC].

Of the total 401,000 newcomers to be welcomed by Canada in 2021, as many as 108,500 will be through the Express Entry system.

An international student in Canada might be eligible for the CEC as well as the FWSP once they have successfully created their profile in the Express Entry system.

Provincial Nominee Program [PNP]

With nearly 80 immigration pathways or ‘streams’ available, various options are available for an international graduate that wishes to take the PNP route to Canada PR.

Of the ten provinces and three territories in Canada, nine provinces [with the exception of Quebec] and two territories [with the exception of Nunavut] are a part of the PNP.

While Quebec has its own immigration program, Nunavut has no immigration program for the induction of newcomers into the territory.

PNP streams for international students –

Category/Stream	PNP Program	Province
International Post-Graduate Category	British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program [BC PNP]	British Columbia
International Education Stream	Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program [MPNP]	Manitoba
Masters Graduate Stream	Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program [OINP]	Ontario
PhD Graduate Stream
Saskatchewan Experience Category	Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program [SINP]	Saskatchewan
New Brunswick Skilled Worker Stream	New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program [NB PNP]	New Brunswick
International Graduate Category	Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program [NL PNP]	Newfoundland and Labrador
International Graduate Entrepreneur Category
Internationaal Graduate Stream	Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program [PEI PNP]	Prince Edward Island
International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream	Nova Scotia Nominee Program [NSNP]	Nova Scotia

Quebec Immigration

International students that have studied in Quebec might be eligible for the Quebec Experience Program [PEQ], gaining their Certificat de sélection du Québec [CSQ] through the PEQ.

A CSQ will be required for being able to apply to IRCC for permanent residence in Canada.

Atlantic Immigration Pilot [AIP]

To be made into a permanent program in 2022, the Atlantic Immigration Pilot [AIP] of Canada allows employers in Atlantic Canada to hire –

• foreign skilled workers that intend immigrating to Atlantic Canada, and
• international graduates that want to stay in Atlantic Canada after graduating.

Atlantic Canada includes the four provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, PEI, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.

The best Canada immigration program for an international student in Canada will be determined by certain factors, which include their – official language proficiency, highest education credential, the amount as well as type of Canadian work experience etc.

If you are looking to Work, Study, Invest, Visit, or Migrate to Canada, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No. 1 Immigration & Visa Company.

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