The Canadian government has recently introduced a new policy for students from abroad affected by Covid 19. It would extend an opportunity to gather work experience that they would need to be eligible for becoming permanent Canadian residents.

Canada Immigration 2021
On January 08, 2021, the Government of Canada came up with a new policy that would allow the present international students in Canada with an expiring or expired PGWP (Post Graduate Work Permit) to apply for a new open work permit. This move is a plan to welcome nearly 1,200,000 new permanent residents into Canada by 2023. According to Universities Canada, it would be a positive signal for the International Students.

According to the Minister of Irrigation, Refugees, and Citizenship – Marco Mendicino, immigrants would enrich Canada in unimaginable ways. The country’s progress cannot be complete without taking into account the contribution of the new residents.

IRCC Tweet

Benefits
The latest immigration target announced by the government is a positive signal to indicate that Canada is more than eager to accommodate skilled talents from all over the world. The graduates of Canadian universities can benefit from immigration if they are looking to stay post completing their studies. According to a leading law firm dealing with immigration, the study permit happens to be the main road for entry into Canada. It allows entering the country and taking up studies of one’s choice, and once that’s finished, the person can apply for a post-graduate work permit. The work permit is a flexible and open permit that allows a person to work at any location of choice in Canada.

Duration
The maximum duration of such a work permit is three years. The day a person completes a year of employment in Canada, he/she becomes eligible to be a permanent resident. As per IRCC (Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada) and PNP, it can help achieve the Canadian Immigration target.

New Open Work Permit
The new open work permit (not to be confused with a study visa or study permit) will be valid for one and a half years. It will enable existing international students to continue staying in Canada and keep looking for job opportunities. It is different from a closed work permit that ties an individual to only a single employer.

Application Rules
To apply for a new open work permit, the following conditions must be fulfilled:

There has to be a PGWP.
The expiry date of the PGWP has to be January 30, 2020, or after that. Else, the expiry date has to be 120 days or less at the time of application.
The person has to be in Canada at that time.
There has to be a valid temporary status. If not, an application should have been submitted already for status restoration.
Note: The above application process will run from January 27, 2021, to July 27, 2021.

It has been estimated that the PGWP is exceptionally coveted, and more than half of the international students want to become permanent Canadian residents. The Canada Administration has realized that the corona pandemic has put graduating students at a disadvantage because of a weak labor market resulting in massive layoffs. It is expected that the new policy will help to fill people in critical sectors like technology and health care, as evident from LMIA.