The Canadian government aims to reduce postgraduate work permits by 1.75 lakh in the next three years by introducing stricter rules and spouse work permits by another 50,000 in the next three years.
Continuing with the restrictions on international work permits, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday announced a new set of restrictions for international students.
“We’re granting 35% fewer international student permits this year. And next year, that number’s going down by another 10%. Immigration is an advantage for our economy — but when bad actors abuse the system and take advantage of students, we crack down,” he wrote on X.
“We’re reducing the number of low-wage, temporary foreign workers and shortening the duration of their work terms. We adjusted the program after the pandemic, but the labour market’s changed. We need businesses to invest in Canadian workers,” he said.
As per available information, Canada issued approximately 4,85,000 student permits in 2024, compared to over 5,00,000 in 2023. However, this number is expected to decrease further to 4,37,000 in 2025. It has been revealed that some students used to apply for asylum after arriving in Canada.
In response, the travel visa issuance process has been more closely verified to detect fraudulent or rejected asylum claims.
The proposed reduction of temporary residents from 6.5 per cent of Canada’s population to 5 per cent will be reflected in the 2025-2027 immigration levels plan, which will be released by November 1, 2024, revealed information from Canada’s immigration department on its website.
The postgraduate work permits (PGWP) for international graduates, postgraduates, master’s and doctoral programme students in Canada are valid for three years. However, before applying for the PGWP, students must pass a new language proficiency test called the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB), which is required for those who studied at a university. The required score is 7 for university undergraduates and 5 for college undergraduates for all applications submitted from November 1, 2024, onwards.
As much as 12 per cent of seats in universities and colleges will be reserved for advanced degree students. However, students pursuing master’s and doctoral programmes need to present a provincial allotment letter (PAL) before enrolling in these courses in a specific province. Previously, the PAL requirement was only for undergraduate students.
The Canadian government aims to reduce PGWP by 1.75 lakh in the next three years by introducing stricter rules and spouse work permits by another 50,000 in the next three years. The spouse will get a work permit only if the partner is pursuing a master’s programme for a minimum of 16 months.
Vinay Hari, an immigration consultant from Punjab, commented on the recent announcements, saying, “The rules for students aspiring to go to Canada are tough. Therefore, they can consider applying to other countries in Europe, Australia, etc. Students need to be competitive enough to thrive in a foreign land.”
Graduates from programmes at public colleges will still be eligible for a PGWP of up to three years if they graduate from a field of study connected to occupations in long-term shortage.
It is important to note that students must first pass the IELTS exam in India or any other country to be eligible for admission to any course in Canada. The band score requirement is 6 overall for undergraduate courses, 6.5 for PG courses, and 7 overall for nursing and engineering courses. Additionally, the CLB test is now required not only for permanent residency applications but also for PGWP applications. Previously, CLB was only required for permanent residency applications.
The recent strict changes in the rules for the PGWP have left the future of over 3,00,000 diploma holders who completed their courses in August uncertain. Many of them who studied business administration and IT may find their qualifications irrelevant to meeting Canada’s long-term job requirements, according to a consultant interviewed by The Indian Express.
Canadian colleges offering such courses may face a crisis if they do not introduce new programmes. Consultants based in Punjab have noted that students with skills in plumbing, refrigeration and air conditioning/heating, mechanics, AI and machine learning, carpentry, health, and the nursing sector have opportunities to obtain a PGWP.
Courtesy: The Indian Express
