New Petition Demands Increase in Work Permit Duration for Int'l Students in Canada

A new petition has been presented in the House of Commons of Canada, the elected assembly of the Parliament, asking for an extension of the validity period for Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP).

The petition e4454 calls on the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to extend the duration of the post graduate work permits for international students in 8-12 month study programs to two years. Similarly, it calls for an extension to five years for students in two-year programs, Erudera.com reports.

“We, the undersigned, Post Graduate Work Permit Holders, International Students and RCIC, call upon the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to increase the length of the Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) to five years for anyone completing at least two years of study in Canada and two years for anyone completing a one-year study in Canada,” the petition reads.

This is being proposed to accommodate the needs of many international students who need more time to secure jobs in the country. The petition initiated by Kanwar Sumit Singh Sierah, gathered 24,349 signatures from across Canada.

A post-graduation work permit is an open work permit that allows students who have graduated from a Canadian post-secondary institution to work for any employer in the country. The work through this program may help students become permanent residents of Canada.

Tens of thousands of international graduates transition to permanent residents every year. According to IRCC data, a record number (157,000) became permanent residents in 2021.

Last year, Canada offered an 18-month extension post-graduation work permit (PGWP) following concerns from employers to find and retain workers.

“We need to use every tool in our toolbox to support employers who continue to face challenges in hiring the workers they need to grow. At the same time, we’re providing international graduates whose work permit is expiring or has expired with some additional time to stay in Canada to gain valuable work experience and potentially qualify to become a permanent resident,” Immigration Minister Sean Fraser had said.

Last year, the number of international students in active study permits increased to 1,040,985, a 29 percent rise from 2022. The government expected to have about 900,000 students in the country in 2023, meaning the figure is ten percent higher.

India and China remain the most significant source countries for international students in Canada. There were 427,085 Indian students in the country in 2023, up almost 34 percent from 2022, when 319,130 Indians had study permits.

On the other hand, Chinese students witnessed only a slight increase of 1.1 percent, from 100,075 in 2022 to 101,150 students in 2023.

Countries with the highest increases in their student population in Canada between 2022 and 2023:

• Ghana - 167.3 percent
• Nepal - 166.5 percent
• Nigeria - 113 percent
• Algeria - 78.3 percent

International students contribute more than $22.3 billion annually to the Canadian economy.

More from Erudera News:

>> What We Know About Canada’s New Rules for International Students in 2024

>> Canadian Universities Receive Fewer Applications from Int’l Students Amidst Policy Changes