Close X
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
ADVT 
National

New international grad work permit program opens

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 27 Jan, 2021 07:06 PM
  • New international grad work permit program opens

A new work-permit program aimed at encouraging international students to settle in Canada opened for applications Wednesday.

The federal government announced the program this month after international students argued the pandemic had disrupted the job market, making it hard to gain work experience required to apply for permanent residency before their permits expired.

Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said the new permit offers people more time to find work in Canada after graduating from post-secondary studies.

Former students with post-graduation work permits that have expired or will soon expire can now apply for open work permits, he said.

Under the new program, people have 18 more months to stay in the country to look for work.

The federal department estimates that about 52,000 graduates could benefit.

Post-graduation work permits allow international graduates to gain work experience in “skilled” Canadian jobs and later apply for permanent residence in the country.

Sarom Rho, who leads a migrant student campaign with Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, said the change is a major win for the thousands of people who feared potential deportation once their non-renewable permits expired.

"This is a massive change and it's absolutely a step in the right direction," Rho said in an interview.

"However, there are many who are still left behind."

Some people whose permits were near expiring have already left the country and can't apply under the new rules, Rho said, or they went home to visit their families and have been unable to return due to travel restrictions.

Others whose permits are set to expire after November 2021 are also ineligible to apply, Rho said.

Rho's group, Migrant Students United, also wants Ottawa to consider hours worked in essential jobs unrelated to graduates' programs of study towards their permanent residency applications.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

Housing market assessments show 'resilience'

Housing market assessments show 'resilience'
Most areas had single-digit price increases with the exception of Vancouver and Squamish, which saw an average boost of 10 per cent for single-family homes.

Housing market assessments show 'resilience'

Diving incident claims the life of a 64-year-old man in West Vancouver

Diving incident claims the life of a 64-year-old man in West Vancouver
WVPD officers are currently assisting the Coroners Service with an investigation into the circumstances leading up to the man’s death

Diving incident claims the life of a 64-year-old man in West Vancouver

Wind, snowfall warnings issued for parts of B.C

Wind, snowfall warnings issued for parts of B.C
Winds of 70 to 90 kilometres per hour are expected for east and west Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, starting late Tuesday morning and persisting into the evening.

Wind, snowfall warnings issued for parts of B.C

Vancouver Police takes armed man into custody after prolonged stand-off

Vancouver Police takes armed man into custody after prolonged stand-off
The second suspect, a 31-year-old man, remained in the same suite for several hours, however, police were able to negotiate a safe resolution.

Vancouver Police takes armed man into custody after prolonged stand-off

B.C. health order limits staff at industrial sites

B.C. health order limits staff at industrial sites
The Dec. 29 order by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says rising case counts related to the projects have led to transmissions in nearby communities, while straining the capacity of local health-care systems.

B.C. health order limits staff at industrial sites

Bad IT support hurting military operations: Report

Bad IT support hurting military operations: Report
The review found numerous problems in the technical support provided to the military by Shared Services Canada, which took over management of most federal networks in August 2011.

Bad IT support hurting military operations: Report