Ziaie Law: News

Maintaining legal status as a temporary resident in Canada

18/10/2018

Every year, hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals are admitted to Canada as “temporary residents”. These may be tourists who are visiting under a visitor visa or an electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) if they are from a visa-exempt country. They may be students or workers in Canada temporarily. While many applicants are most concerned about the eligibility requirements to obtain such temporary visas to enter Canada, it is extremely important for temporary residents to understand the legal nature of their stay in Canada in order to maintain their status and ensure that they do not become inadmissible to Canada by breaching any conditions on their type of visa.

Having legal status means you are authorized to enter and remain in Canada as a temporary or permanent resident under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, as a Canadian citizen under the Citizenship Act or as a Registered Indian under the Indian Act. In the case of temporary residents, your status is valid for a specific period of time that is set out in your visa, study or work permit.

Apply for an extension before you lose your status
Each type of temporary visa has a different duration. For example a study permit may be for the duration of your studies in Canada. A work permit may be for the duration of the contract of employment you have with your employer in Canada. In the case of visitors you are generally permitted to stay in Canada for up to 6 months from the date of your entry (unless the officer indicates at the time of your entry that you are permitted to remain in Canada for a shorter period of time).

Irrespective of the type of temporary status you hold, you should be careful of the duration and ensure that you take appropriate steps to extend you status before your status expires. For example, if your studies are taking longer than your original study permit, you can apply to extend your study permit. In the case of visitors, you will need to leave Canada before six months or, if there is a reason why you need to remain in Canada, it is possible to apply for an extension of your status before the six months is up.
What if you miss the deadline to extend you status?
In some situations you may not be able to apply to extend your visa or apply for a new visa in time. Depending on your circumstances this may create serious problems with regards to your ability to extend your study permit or work permit and may even impact your eligibility for future visas. However, if you have missed your deadline to apply for a renewal by only a few days, there is a window of opportunity to be able to apply to restore your status for up to 90 days from the date of expiration of your visa or permit

A restoration application is very important as you must explain the circumstances that prevented you from complying with the conditions of your permit and you must meet all the conditions of your initial visa or permit. Applications are processed on a case-by-case basis and the 90 day deadline is very rigid. If you have missed your deadline you should immediately consult an experienced immigration lawyer to understand your options.
Application To Return to Canada (ARC)
In some cases, where a temporary resident has overstayed his or her authorized period to remain in Canada or did not comply with the conditions of his or her stay, the resident may be issued with a removal order. If you are issued with a removal order (which may be a departure order, deportation order or exclusion order) then you may no longer stay in Canada and it may also result in you becoming inadmissible for re-entry to Canada.
Depending on the reason you receive on the removal order you may be able to appeal the decision. However, once a removal order is final, in most cases you will need a special permission called an Authorization to Return to Canada (“ARC”) before you will be allowed to re-enter Canada.
ARC applications require that you demonstrate that there is a low possibility that you will repeat the behaviour that caused the order to be issued in the first place and your current situation as well as the reason you have for returning to Canada. The officer will also consider the reasons for which the removal order was issued and the amount of time that has passed since the order was issued. There is no guarantee that an ARC will be issued and by having the assistance of an experienced immigration lawyer you will be able to navigate the process and ensure that you submit the best application possible and have the highest chance of success.

0 Comments

International Students Part 5 – Pathways to Permanent Residence Continued

23/8/2018

0 Comments

Sometimes it feels like Canada's regulations and programs for Permanent Resident change on a weekly basis. In truth there are more than a dozen programs available at both the federal and provincial level and these programs are constantly changing and evolving. The answer to whether you qualify for permanent residence in Canada may change from month to month and is wholly dependent upon your individual circumstances. Therefore, it is impossible to summarize all the possible pathways to permanent residence but below are the highlights of the main programs currently available for skilled workers.

Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
You may qualify to apply for PR under CEC if:

You have strong English or French Skills
Have at least one year of Canadian work experience at a skilled or managerial level

This program is managed through the Express Entry system and therefore the applicants with the most points will qualify and be selected from the Express Entry pool. There is no specific requirement for a post-secondary degree or to have a job offer but these can increase your points and thereby increase your chance of having a successful CEC application.

Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSW)
You may qualify to apply for PR under the FSW class if:

You have strong English or French Skills
Have at least one year full-time experience at a skilled or managerial level
Have completed at least secondary education

Again this program is managed through the Express Entry system and the higher your points the more likely you are to be successful. Given the minimum scores that have been selected over the past year, applicants who are younger, have extremely good language skills and have either worked or studied in Canada are the most likely to succeed in this category.

Federal Skilled Trades Class (FST)
You may qualify to apply for PR under the FST class if:

You have strong English or French Skills
Have at least 2 years full-time experience in a skilled trade in the past 5 years
You have an offer of employment for at least one year OR a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued in Canada

Similar to the FSW and CEC this program is managed through the Express Entry system and the higher your points the more likely you are to be successful.

Provincial Nominee Program
There are numerous programs to attract skilled worker in each province, and the province of Quebec has its own specific program for permanent residents. While the requirements of each of these programs differ they often require strong language skills as well as a connection to the province such as having completed studies there or having a job offer from a local employer.

Atlantic Immigration Pilot
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) is a partnership between the Government of Canada and the four Atlantic provinces (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island) and the aim of the AIP is to attract and retain talent in these provinces by offering a faster path to permanent residence.

The AIP allows employers in these provinces to hire qualified candidates for jobs that they have not been able to fill locally. In order to qualify you must have a job offer from a local employer and fall under one of the three programs: High-skilled Program, Intermediate-skilled Program and International Graduate Program (for those who have studied in one of the provinces).

Each step that you take will impact your ability to qualify under any of these programs in the future. Therefore if you are interested in planning out your pathway to permanent residence you should speak with an experienced immigration lawyer as soon as possible.

0 Comments

International Students Part 4 – Pathways to permanent residence for international students

16/8/2018

0 Comments

Over the past few weeks I have written about the options available for students who choose to study in Canada as international students. What happens when you complete your studies? Do you have any option for working or becoming a permanent resident in Canada? The good news is that in many cases, depending on your circumstances, the answer to these questions is yes and you may be able to work and go on to become a permanent resident of Canada.

Canada's immigration policy has shifted from attracting and processing skilled worker applicants from outside of Canada to encouraging international students and foreign workers already in Canada to apply for permanent residence. These candidates have already spent time in Canada, having studied or gained Canadian work experience, which so often is a barrier for the successful establishment of new immigrants to Canada. Therefore, after you complete your studies in Canada there are a number of different programs that may put you on a pathway to Canadian permanent residence.

Post-graduate work permit
After you graduate, you may be able to work temporarily, depending on where, what program and how long you studied. To work in Canada after you graduate, you need a work permit. The work experience you gain while working may help you qualify for permanent residence.

If you graduated from a designated learning institution, you may be eligible to apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP). Not all designated learning institutions make you eligible for a post-graduation work permit and therefore you must be careful in choosing where you study and the program you will enrol in.

To get a post-graduation work permit, you must:

be 18 or older when you apply
have continuously studied full-time in Canada in a study program at least eight months long
have a document from your school (transcript, official letter, certificate, etc.) that confirms you completed and passed all your program requirements
have graduated from a:
public post-secondary school, such as a college, trade/technical school or university, or CEGEP in Quebec or
private post-secondary school that operates under the same rules as public schools (currently applies only to certain private post-secondary institutions in Quebec) or
private secondary or post-secondary school (in Quebec) that offers qualifying programs of 900 hours or longer, leading to a diplôme d’études professionnelles (DEP) or an attestation de spécialisation professionnelle (ASP) or
Canadian private school that can legally award degrees under provincial law (for example, Bachelors, Masters or Doctorate degree) but only if you are enrolled in a study programs leading to a degree as authorized by the province
apply for a work permit within 90 days of when it was confirmed that you completed your program and
have a valid study permit when you apply for the work permit.
If your program of study was less than eight months long or you studied for more than eight months but not continuously (for example, you took a semester off), or if you completed a study program by distance learning either from abroad or from within Canada you will not be eligible to obtain a PGWP. Also, recipients of certain scholarships, such as the Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program, are not eligible for the PGWP. Finally, the PGWP is a one-time opportunity: if you have already had a post-graduation work permit following any other program of study you will not be eligible to receive a second PGWP.

With a PGWP you will be able to work legally in Canada for the duration of your work permit. Any employer that wants to hire you will not need to go through the bureaucratic process of demonstrating why they need to hire a non-Canadian employee. And most importantly you will build up your work experience to help you in qualifying for one of Canada's immigration programs such as the Canada Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program or one of the Provincial Nominee Programs. Therefore, it is extremely important that you ensure that your program of study qualifies you to receive a PGWP and that you apply in time and meet all the conditions in order to successfully obtain a PGWP if you wish to embark on a possible path to Canadian permanent residence.

What happens after you complete your studies and gain Canadian work experience? Next week I will be writing about the latest eligibility requirements of these pathways to permanent residence.

0 Comments

International Students Part 3 – Studying in Primary or High School in Canada

11/8/2018

0 Comments

Over the past few weeks I have written about international students that choose to study in Canada. Typically when we think about international students we think of college and university students pursuing post-secondary education. This week I want to turn to another group of international students: minor international students studying in Canada at the primary and secondary school level.

Why Do Families Choose Canada?
There are different reasons why a family may choose to have their minor child study in Canada as an international student: the child may be accompanying his or her parents as they work or study in Canada, or the family may have an immigration application in process and want their child to have a head start and study in Canada before the family receives their immigration status. However, in an increasing number of cases families are choosing for their minor children to study in Canadian primary and secondary schools and obtain a Canadian high school diploma.

The numbers are interesting and while there are no official number released for 2018 yet, the number of international students applying to the school boards in Ontario and British Columbia has increased significantly in the past five years.

Which School Should We Choose?
Minor children have the option to choose between a number of different school options: public schools, Catholic schools and private schools. Depending on the type of experience that the child or child's family is looking for it is possible to find a school that is suitable. Some schools offer homestay opportunities that allow their students to live with a local family. There are also boarding schools that allow students to live in the school's dormatories. While there are many different school options, if you are looking to enrol in a private school it must be certified by the provincial Ministry of Education as a registered private school.

If you would like your child to study in Canada you should start the application process as soon as possible because spaces in schools fill up and you have to act fast to get into the most popular schools.

At What Age Should Minor Students Come To Canada?
It is possible to study from grade 1 to 12 as a minor student. However, the most popular grades are in high school, and particularly grade 11 and 12, that allow students to become familiar with the Canadian education system, improve their English and have a better chance of entering Canadian post-secondary education.

Who is a Custodian?
Across Canada the age at which a child is considered a minor is different. For example in Ontario it is children under 18 but in British Columbia it is children under 19. If a minor child is studying in Canada they must either be living with their parent or legal guardian, or they must have a custodian. A custodian is a responsible adult, who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who will take care of and support the minor child.

In the case of younger children it is often advisable that they be accompanied by at least one parent and we routinely obtain visitor visas for parents to accompany younger children studying in Canada. However, where a parent cannot accompany the child a suitable custodian can be selected and the custodian must undertake to take care of the child in Canada. A custodian can be a close family member such as an aunt or uncle or trusted family friend. If it is not possible to find such a person there are companies that provide custodianship services.

Unfortunately there is no clear federal or provincial program to oversee the custodians for international students, therefore it is extremely important for parents to ensure that they find qualified custodians for their children. The government will likely have to create a framework for supervision of custodians in the future as the number of minor international students increases across Canada.

Do Minor Students Need A Study Permit?
Students that want to enrol fulltime in a school in Canada, for studies that are longer than 6 months long, must have a valid study permit. Depending on the circumstances of each case an immigration lawyer can advise you of the required documents for the study permit application. It is important to note that one of the most important requirements in order to obtain a study permit is for the child's family to demonstrate that they will be able to cover all the expenses related to the child's studies and stay in Canada.

If you are interested in having your child study in Canada you must apply as early as possible as processing of study permits can take several weeks, and can become more complicated if coupled with a visitor visa application for an accompanying parent.

0 Comments

Top 5 tips for international students looking to study in Canada's Universities and Colleges

26/7/2018

0 Comments

Are you in the process of deciding which country you want to study in? Are you considering studying in Canada? Below are 5 tips that can help you as you make your decision to pursue higher education in Canada.

Remember if you are studying in Canada for a period of less than 6 months you do not need a study permit. However, you will need a valid visa to enter Canada or if you are from a visa-exempt country you will have to have an eTA. For those who want to study in programs that are longer than 6 months you must have a valid study permit to be enrolled.

1. Decide on your course of study: university or college?
Canada is home to dozens of high caliber universities and colleges that offer a wide range of courses and programs of study from one year diplomas to four year bachelor degrees, and highly specialized masters and doctorate programs. Depending on your interests and goals you will undoubtedly be able to find a program that will be suitable for you.

Historically colleges in Canada offered more vocational programs and universities had a more academic focus. While some colleges still retain specialized vocational programming, many colleges have grown and even offer bachelor programs. In addition, universities today have tried to incorporate more hand-on training in many of their programs and you will be able to find opportunities to participate in co-op programs that will allow you to put the skills you learn in the classroom into practice.

Whether you choose a college or university you want to be mindfull of one thing: if you wish to obtain a study permit the institution you are enrolling in must be a Designated Learning Institute (DLI). Also, if you plan on working in Canada after you finish your studies you should ensure that the program and institution you are enrolling in will qualify you for a post-graduate work permit.

2. Figure out the costs and explore scholarship opportunities
As an international student you will be paying international student tuition fees. These fees can range from $15000 to $45000 per year. There are also additional expenses for books, insurance and of course living expenses. These costs will vary depending on the institution that you choose and the local living expenses. However, you should figure out a budget for your studies and ensure that you have the necessary resources to cover all the expenses. This is particularly important when you are applying for your study permit because you must demonstrate to the visa officer that you have the necessary funds to cover the expenses related to your studies.

You should also note that as an international student you are permitted to work up to 20 hours per week. This income may be a helpful source of additional funds and more importantly a good way to gain experience in Canada. But given the cost of international tuition you cannot rely on this income to pay for your tuition fees.

For gifted international students there are opportunities to receive scholarships and obtain funding, particularly in masters and doctorate programs involving research. You should start your search early to give you enough time to explore these opportunities and prepare your scholarship and funding applications.

3. Look beyond the big cities
While the big universities in Toronto and Vancouver have an international reputation, there are great universities and colleges spread across Canada. From Halifax to Victoria you will find institutions offering outstanding programs and opportunities for international students. If you are planning on working after you graduate and applying for permanent residence there are also special programs in each province aimed at keeping local graduates that may help you in achieving your goal of settling in Canada permanently.

4. Language skills
In Canada you will be studying in one either English or French and entry to any college or university program will require that you demonstrate that you have sufficient language ability. You can do this by providing your language exams up front to show that you meet the language requirements of the institution and receiving an “unconditional acceptance” into the program. In some circumstances it is possible to study English or French at the institution and pass their own language exam to qualify for admission. However, this may impact your ability to obtain a study permit as this is considered a “conditional acceptance”.

There are also language colleges in Canada that offer programs in English and French. While they are popular, unfortunately the policy for granting study permits for these programs is not consistent globally and you are much less likely to get a study permit if there has been a gap of a few years since you last studied.

5. Stay on top of deadlines and paperwork
Studying in Canada can be a very rewarding experience: in addition to the academic experience upon graduation you will likely have an option to work and eventually settle in Canada. However the process of applying for study permits and maintaining your status as a student are very important and at times very complicated. You must make sure that you stay on top of your paperwork and submit your applications before the deadlines to ensure you can legally study in Canada.

When you are first accepted you must apply for a study permit in advance of the start of your study period and as you remain in Canada you must ensure that you apply for any required extensions or change of status applications before your status expires. This will ensure you always remain “in-status” meaning that you are legally in Canada. You should also be mindful of the deadlines for applying for a post-graduate work permit – if the deadline passes and you have not applied you will not be granted a post-graduate work and may be required to leave Canada before gaining any Canadian work experience that could qualify you to apply for immigration.

As you prepare to embark on this exciting path to study in Canada you can consult with an experienced immigration lawyer to better understand these important visa and immigration requirements and deadlines to ensure that the process proceeds as smoothly as possible.

0 Comments

Competition for International Students: How Canada's Strategies are Attracting the best and brightest

19/7/2018

0 Comments

The total number of students studying outside their home country has more than doubled since 2001. According to UNIESCO data, in 2017 more than 4.6 million students were studying internationally. With the increased number of international students, countries around the world are creating programs to specifically attract these students and are in direct competition to attract the best and brightest students.

For example Germany's government announced plans in 2013 to increase its number of international students to 350,000 by 2020. With its recruitment plans it was able to reach this goal by the 2016-2017 academic year. Similarly Australia released a strategy in 2016 for international education and by October 2017, the country increased enrollment by international students by 15% over the previous year and had 350,000 international higher education students. Even China, which is the source of the most international students is now among one of the top host countries and it has announced ambitious plans to attract even more international students.

Canada too has hopes to attract 450,000 international students by 2022 and it is very close to achieving this goal as over 300,000 international students chose Canada for the 2017-2018 academic year. So how are international students choosing where to study and how has Canada been such an attractive option for international students?

Given the high calibre of Canada's universities and the wide range of college programs and diplomas it comes as no surprise that Canada is a top choice for international students. While University of Toronto, Waterloo and McGill are internationally renowned, studying at any of Canada's universities and colleges is regarded with great respect. In addition to the great reputation of Canadian universities and colleges, these institutions have created recruitment strategies to specifically increase awareness about their programs and opportunities to attract top talent. These efforts are paying off as more and more students are applying to study at Canadian colleges and universities across Canada.

Once a student has chosen Canada and obtained an acceptance, he or she must have a study permit to be able to study in Canada.The government has also stepped up its efforts to process the study permit applications for international students more quickly and with more reliability. The increased reliability of the visa process makes Canada a safer choice for international students.

Finally, one of the reasons why international students are attracted to Canada is because of the government of Canada's efforts in creating opportunities and pathways to permanent residence and citizenship for international students. Over the last decade, Canada has adopted immigration programs to retain international students upon the completion of their studies.

Students can work while they study and upon completing recognized degrees or diplomas in Canada they qualify for a post-graduate work permit allowing them to work in Canada for up to 3 years. In November 2016 the Express Entry system was changed to introduce points for international students who complete a recognized degree or diploma in Canada, making it easier for international students to become permanent residents. The provinces are also trying to retain international students and offer unique provincial nominee programs for international graduates in their province.

Over the next few weeks I will be writing more about the studying in Canada as an international student. If you have any specific issues you would like see covered please feel free to email me at zeynab@ziaielaw.com.

0 Comments

The Wait Continues: Latest Developments in Delays for Canadian Immigration Applications of Iranian Students and Recent Graduates

19/4/2018

0 Comments

Canada has been working hard to recruit international students and promises those who chose to study in Canada a pathway to permanent residence once they complete their studies and work in Canada for a period of time. But for one group of applicants the reality has become very different. There are currently more than 300 recent graduates or postdoctoral Iranian students in Canada that are facing longer processing times as they are told that their applications are undergoing “security screening”. The problem is so widespread that over the past month CBC, The Globe and Mail and Vice News have all published articles about the plight of more these recent graduates and postdoctoral students that are facing much longer processing times than their counterparts from other countries.

Given the track record of Iranian students for outstanding academic achievement, it comes as no surprise that there are hundreds of masters and doctorate and even postdoctoral students from Iran at universities across Canada. After spending years studying in Canada, many have become socially settled and want to remain in Canada based on the welcome that Canada extends to international students.

These students qualify for immigration under a number of different categories depending on their circumstances, and most often are eligible to apply based on their Canadian studies and work experience in the Express Entry system. According to the Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (“IRCC”) website, the current average processing time for 80% of applicants as Federal Skilled Workers or applicants under the Canadian Experience Class is 6 months. However, many Iranian applicants have waited much longer, many in excess of a year and some many years.

This is all the more frustrating for those who have been living in Canada as students for several years before submitting their immigration applications. The impact of these delays is causing great distress for these applicants and many find that their lives are on hold as they wait for the final decision from IRCC. In a recent statement, the Iranian Canadian Congress (“ICC”) found that these graduate students “are unable to make long-term plans for their lives, must pay far higher tuition fees than permanent residents, face difficulties in finding employment since their status in Canada is uncertain, and cannot commit to further studies or academic positions because these institutions require assurances that they can stay in the country”.

So what is causing these delays? The answer is “security screening” according to the Minister of Immigration, Ahmed Hussen, and the Minister of Public Safety, Ralph Goodale. Security screening and background checks are an essential part of the immigration process: before a person is granted permanent residence Canada wants to ensure that they do not have any criminal history and do not present a security threat to Canada. However, the question that remains is why screening for applicants of Iranian background is taking much longer than applicants from other countries.

This is the question that has been asked by ICC in their meeting with representatives of the the Minister of Public Safety in Ottawa last week, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and a number of federal MPs. The only response they have received so far is that the processing times of security screening is affected by how long it takes to receive information, the volume of applications, how easily the information can be verified. Given that there are more than a thousand Iranian immigration applicants in Canada Border Services Agency's current security-check inventory, it is hard to predict how much longer these applicants will have to wait to receive their permanent residence visas and realize their dream of settling in Canada.

0 Comments

Impact of Ontario College Strike on International Students

17/11/2017

2 Comments

Approximately 12,000 college professors, librarians and counsellors from 24 colleges across Ontario have been on strike since October 16, 2017 and roughly 500,000 college students across the province have been missing classes for the last month. This is a very stressful time for students who are left wondering whether they will lose this semester and if they can complete their studies in time and find jobs upon graduation. International students face greater challenges as they will need to consider the consequence of the delay on their study permits and their plans after they graduate.

Canadian universities and colleges have ramped up international recruiting of students over the past decade. The number of international students in Canada has increased dramatically and almost half of all international students currently study in Toronto's universities and colleges. In fact the number of international students in Toronto has increased from 10% of college students in 2009 to over 20% of college students in 2015.

International students pay tuition fees that are often double or even triple the fees that domestic students pay. These international tuition revenues make up for lower domestic enrolment and decreasing funding faced by many colleges across Canada. And with the opportunity to apply for post-graduate work permits and potentially apply for permanent residence, more international students have been choosing Canada in recent years.

So what does this strike mean for the thousands of international students across Ontario? Of the regulations governing study permits, the following are the most important aspects that international students must consider if they are missing classes because of the college strike:

All study permits include a condition that the student must be making continual progress towards the completion of their program. Students cannot abandon their studies and pursue other activities when they are in Canada with a study permit.

International students are permitted to perform up to a maximum of 20 hours of work per week during regular school sessions. While students may be facing a financial difficulties because they will have to incur additional living expenses from their prolonged semester, they are limited to working no more than 20 hours a week, even if they are not attending classes. They will need to ensure that they have the necessary funds to be able to pay their living expenses once classes resume. Some colleges may provide financial assistance to students if they are facing financial hardship as a result of the strike and international students should check with their college to find out about these programs.

Students must demonstrate that they studied continuously to qualify for a post-graduate work permit and have a limited period of time after they complete their studies and obtain their diploma to apply for this work permit.

The good news is that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has already stated that students whose studies are affected by the labour dispute in Ontario's colleges will not face enforcement action for not being able to fulfil the condition to be studying. Those international students who need to apply for extensions of their study permits must include a letter from their college's registrar to confirm the impact of the strike. Further, the gap in studies resulting from the strike will not prevent students from applying for a post-graduate work permit.

The next round of votes in the strike action were held from November 14 to 16. Irrespective of the outcome of the vote, students have already missed more than a month of classes. International students need to carefully consider their situation, and budgets, and act in time to ensure that they retain their legal status in Canada. Most importantly with the prolonged study periods, students should ensure that they apply to renew their study permits before they expire and where necessary make new work plans after the current semester is finally over.

2 Comments

Canada Set to Welcome Record Number of International Students

20/7/2017

1 Comment

International students are applying to study in Canada in great numbers and we are set to welcome a record number of international students this September. This follows the previous jump in 2016 when 367,000 international student visas were issued, itself an increase of 22% over the number of student visas in the previous year.

It comes as no surprise given the high calibre of Canada's universities and the wide range of college programs and diplomas. However, it is the result of increased recruiting efforts by Canadian institutions and focused immigration policy decisions that have made Canada more attractive for international students.

Over the last decade, Canada has adopted immigration programs to retain international students upon the completion of their studies. Students can work while they study and upon completing recognized degrees or diplomas in Canada they qualify for a post-graduate work permit allowing them to work in Canada for up to 3 years. The Federal government is continually working to improve its services and in the past year has reduced the processing time for these post-graduate work permits from an average of 17 weeks down to just 6 weeks. In November 2016 the Express Entry system was changed to introduce points for international students who complete a recognized degree or diploma in Canada, making it easier for international students to become permanent residents. The provinces are also trying to retain international students and offer unique provincial nominee programs for international graduates in their province.

The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, recently stated in a speech at the Canadian Club in Toronto: “Why wouldn’t we want to hang on to these people? These are already people who are proficient in English and French or both and who have a post-secondary education in one of our fine institutions.” He went on to elaborate on the immediate impact that international students have on Canada's economy, explaining that international students inject more money into the Canadian economy than exports of softwood lumber or wheat, or even income from our financial services. In addition to living expenses and spending on consumables, international students pay tuition fees that are up to two or three times the fees of Canadian students.

Global factors are also increasing demand in Canada's universities and colleges. Students are often looking for a path to employment and permanent residence at the completion of their studies. The US has been the destination of choice for up to 1 million students each year. While it is too early for us to have the data, the implementation of the travel ban in the US from a number of predominantly Muslim countries and a lack of a clear path to work visas or permanent residence upon completion of studies will undoubtedly play into the decision of students choosing between Canada and the US.

But this is just the beginning. Canada wants to attract even more international students and is looking at areas of improvement in the processing of visa applications and looking to the experience of other countries such as Australia and Germany in recruiting and retaining top talent. These changes cannot come quickly enough as the shortage of skilled workers in Canada continues to grow and the need for attracting and retaining the skills and talents of immigrants become critical to the economic survival of Canada.

1 Comment

NEWS

Maintaining legal status as a temporary resident in Canada

International Students Part 5 – Pathways to Permanent Residence Continued

International Students Part 4 – Pathways to permanent residence for international students

International Students Part 3 – Studying in Primary or High School in Canada

Top 5 tips for international students looking to study in Canada's Universities and Colleges

Competition for International Students: How Canada's Strategies are Attracting the best and brightest

The Wait Continues: Latest Developments in Delays for Canadian Immigration Applications of Iranian Students and Recent Graduates

Top 5 Questions from Visitors to Canada

Impact of Ontario College Strike on International Students

Canada Set to Welcome Record Number of International Students

Authors:
Zeynab Ziaie
Zahra Ziaie

Archives

Categories

NEWS

Authors: Zeynab Ziaie Zahra Ziaie

Archives

Categories

Authors:
Zeynab Ziaie
Zahra Ziaie