Close X
Thursday, November 28, 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

Canada and U.K. ink post-Brexit trade agreement

Canada and U.K. ink post-Brexit trade agreement
The Liberal government has given notice that a bill to implement the deal in Canadian law is coming to the House of Commons imminently.

Canada and U.K. ink post-Brexit trade agreement

Bank of Canada keeps rates on hold at 0.25%

Bank of Canada keeps rates on hold at 0.25%
Since then, the country has clawed back just over four-fifths of those job losses, with growth for the last quarter of 2020 outpacing what the bank expected.

Bank of Canada keeps rates on hold at 0.25%

Health Canada approves COVID-19 vaccine

Health Canada approves COVID-19 vaccine
Dr. Supriya Sharma, the chief medical adviser at Health Canada who oversaw the review process, said it is "a critical milestone in our fight against COVID-19."

Health Canada approves COVID-19 vaccine

B.C. to start vaccination program next week

B.C. to start vaccination program next week
However, Dr. Bonnie Henry and Adrian Dix say the number of new cases and hospitalizations due to serious illness are still high, requiring health orders and restrictions to stay in place.

B.C. to start vaccination program next week

Kovrig, Spavor 'robust' and 'inspiring': Barton

Kovrig, Spavor 'robust' and 'inspiring': Barton
Barton is leading Canada's efforts in China to win the release of Kovrig and Spavor, who were arrested and imprisoned on Dec. 10, 2018, in what is widely seen as retaliation for Canada's arrest of Chinese high-tech executive Meng Wanzhou.

Kovrig, Spavor 'robust' and 'inspiring': Barton

Tributes paid to Joseph Arvay in B.C. legislature

Tributes paid to Joseph Arvay in B.C. legislature
Eby told the legislature Arvay revolutionized a section of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms guaranteeing equality to all Canadians with successful cases in the Supreme Court of Canada on book censorship and the right to assisted death.

Tributes paid to Joseph Arvay in B.C. legislature