Options post Finishing Studies in Canada as International Student
April 14, 2023
Immigration
Thousands of students migrate to Canada for its world-class education every year. Completing your studies at a Canadian institution opens the doors for various options including gaining permanent residence and living in Canada. Below we’ve laid out the options available for an international student in Canada.
Top Three Options for International
Option A: Working in Canada After Graduation
Now that you’ve completed your study program, you may want to stay in Canada to gain Canadian work experience. Your work experience will help you qualify for certain permanent residence programs. The IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) requires a valid work permit to work in Canada after graduation. This is called the Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP). A PGWP allows an international student who has completed their studies at a designated learning institution to live in Canada temporarily while they work and accumulate their work experience.
Option B: Extend Your Studies
PGWPs can only be obtained once in a lifetime, typically after you have completed your studies. If you intend to continue studying in Canada consider extending your study permit and completing a second complementary program that will further your skills and knowledge. This will also help when it comes time to apply for a PGWP as it will enable you to extend the length of your work permit by applying based on the length of your entire study period (as long as both programs are eligible for the PGWP and the second program was completed within two years of the first).
Option C: Apply to Live Permanently in Canada
You may also want to consider settling Canada through the various available paths to permanent residency. Canada has several paths to permanent residence, of which are the Canadian Experience Class (CEC)and the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP). The CEC program is available to candidates who have al least 1 year of skilled work experience in Canada in the last 3 years before applying. This program pairs well with students who have obtained a PGWP and is geared towards skilled workers who have Canadian work experience.
Graduating from a Canadian university of college opens many avenues for living and settling in Canada. Contact us today to discuss your options and review the best path that suits you.
