New course of action has been introduced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada(IRCC) for international students. These latest measures are announced for students who can not travel to Canada due to restrictions and are in dilemma of getting a Post-Graduation Work Permit(PGWP).
For the record, PGWP allows students who have graduated from eligible Canadian designated learning institutions (DLIs) to obtain an open work permit to gain valuable Canadian work experience.
As per the earlier notification, International students could complete their 50% course online by staying at their home country and this duration will not be deducted from their PGWP provided that it will be valid until December 31,2020
Following are the new decisions on post-graduation work permit eligibility for students beginning programs online:
1. Students may now study online from abroad until April 30, 2021, with no time deducted from the length of a future post-graduation work permit, provided 50% of their program of study is eventually completed in Canada.
2. Students who have enrolled in a program that is between 8 and 12 months in length, with a start date from May to September 2020, will be able to complete their entire program online from abroad and still be eligible for a post-graduation work permit.
3. Students who have enrolled in a program with a start date from May to September 2020 and study online up to April 30, 2021, and who graduate from more than one eligible program of study, may be able to combine the length of their programs of study when they apply for a post-graduation work permit in the future, as long as 50% of their total studies are completed in Canada.
Following are the measures for the students who are applying for Study Permit :
1. IRCC has introduced 2-stage study permit processing for students who can’t submit a complete application. This includes a first-stage eligibility assessment and a final decision based on admissibility requirements in the second stage.
2. This allows applicants who have been unable to provide biometrics, police certificates or the results of an immigration medical examination to get an initial assessment. If approved, they can feel reassured that they have already met most of the criteria for a study permit.
3. IRCC aims to process all first-stage eligibility assessments before the start of the fall semester. When a student is approved through both stages, they will be ready to travel to Canada once travel restrictions are modified. Moreover, Students who have submitted a complete application will receive priority processing and will be ready to travel to Canada soon after travel restrictions are modified.
Benefits for students who are already in Canada
1. Students already in Canada for the winter, spring and summer terms were assured that they wouldn’t lose their eligibility for a post-graduation work permit if they were forced to complete more than 50% of their program online, reduce their studies to part-time or take a break from their studies completely as a result of restrictions on classroom learning due to the pandemic.
2. Until August 31, 2020, international students are permitted to work more than 20 hours per week off-campus during their academic session if they are employed in an essential service or function.