The main adjustments for worldwide college students and Publish-Commencement Work Permits in Canada in 2024 – 12 months in evaluate…

We’ve seen main adjustments to Canada’s worldwide pupil program in 2024.

Main adjustments embody

• Up to date eligibility standards for post-graduation work permits (PGWPs);
• Up to date price of residing requirement;
• Closure of the Scholar Direct Stream and the Nigeria Scholar Specific;
• Caps on examine allow functions;
• Stricter guidelines for examine permits;
• New guidelines concerning off-campus work hours for worldwide college students; and
• Up to date laws for open work permits for spouses.

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On this article, we’ll evaluate the adjustments in additional element.

Nearly all of the adjustments align with the federal authorities’s intention of scaling again the variety of short-term residents.

Up to date eligibility standards and laws for PGWPs

Modifications to curriculum licensing agreements PGWPs

On January 22, IRCC introduced that worldwide college students who start a examine program that’s a part of a curriculum licensing settlement are now not eligible for PGWPs, beginning September.

These are preparations whereby personal faculties are licensed to supply college students applications of a related public faculty.

Nonetheless, in March, IRCC moved its September deadline as much as Might 15.

Three-year PGWP for grasp’s diploma college students

On January 22, IRCC introduced that Grasp’s diploma program graduates will probably be eligible for three-year work permits.

Previous to the change, a PGWP could be granted primarily based on the size of a grasp’s diploma, as much as a most of three years.

This variation advantages grasp’s college students whose applications are two years or shorter, because it makes them eligible for longer work permits.

This offers them extra time to realize work expertise and probably transition to everlasting residents.

This variation got here into impact on February 15.

Language necessities for PGWP launched

In September it was introduced that PGWP candidates want to indicate a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) rating of seven for college graduates and a CLB rating of 5 for faculty graduates, beginning November 1.

Area of examine requirement launched for PGWP eligibility

On September 18, IRCC introduced that worldwide college students must graduate from a area of examine linked to occupations with long-term shortages to qualify for PGWPs.

*These area of examine necessities don’t apply to college bachelor’s, grasp’s, or doctoral graduates. They apply for these graduating from faculty applications and from college vocational applications.

On October 11, IRCC launched additional particulars on which applications are eligible for PGWPs.

The fields of examine are linked to fields with long-term shortages. These are

• Agriculture and agri-food;
• Healthcare;
• Science, Expertise, Engineering, and Arithmetic (STEM);
• Commerce; and
• Transport.

Worldwide college students who utilized for examine permits earlier than November 1, 2024 don’t want to satisfy area of examine necessities to be eligible for a PGWP. But when they apply for a brand new examine allow after this date (for instance, resulting from altering faculties and/or applications), then the sector of examine requirement will apply.

Up to date price of residing requirement

On January 1, the cost-of-living necessities for examine allow candidates elevated.

The requirement for a single applicant elevated from $10,000 to $20,635 for 2024. Candidates should have these funds on prime of protecting their first 12 months of tuition and journey prices.

The brand new price of residing requirement was carried out for all examine allow functions obtained on or after January 1, 2024.

Closure of the Scholar Direct Stream and Nigeria Scholar Specific

On November eight, IRCC closed the Scholar Direct Stream (SDS), efficient instantly.

SDS was launched in 2018 to expedite examine allow functions for worldwide college students from 14 nations, together with India, China, Pakistan, and the Philippines.

Via SDS, IRCC’s customary processing time for functions was 20 calendar days.

Nonetheless, common processing occasions – which range in keeping with nation – are usually for much longer. For instance, present processing time for a examine allow an applicant from Pakistan is 10 weeks.

The identical day, IRCC additionally introduced the closure of the Nigeria Scholar Specific (NSE), a program much like SDS for examine allow candidates from Nigeria.

Cap on examine allow functions

On January 22, IRCC introduced an consumption cap on worldwide pupil examine allow functions.

In 2024, this cover was anticipated to end in roughly 360,000 authorized internet new examine permits – a lower of 35% from 2023.

In April, Immigration Minister Marc Miller supplied additional context on this quantity, stating that the goal of authorized examine permits for 2024 is 485,000. IRCC arrived at 360,000 by subtracting 97,000 (the variety of college students IRCC anticipated to use for extensions) and setting apart a buffer for different variations.

On September 18, IRCC introduced a discount in worldwide pupil examine permits for 2025, primarily based on a 10% discount from the 2024 goal of 485,000.

In 2025, this interprets to issuing 437,000 examine permits.

Throughout the Immigration Ranges Plan 2025-27, launched in October, targets have been revealed for short-term residents arriving in 2025, 2026, and 2027, which embody worldwide college students.

The goal for brand spanking new worldwide pupil arrivals in 2025 is 305,900. This accounts for brand spanking new arrivals solely, not examine allow renewals or extensions from college students already in Canada.

Stricter guidelines for examine permits

To implement this cover, IRCC launched Provincial Attestation Letters (PALs) on January 22.

PALs are issued by provinces and territories to worldwide college students as proof that the coed has a reputable admission and has been accounted for below the brand new caps.

IRCC stated that as of January 22, 2024, each examine allow utility submitted to IRCC requires an attestation letter.

In March, additional particulars have been introduced exempting some college students from requiring PALs. As per the replace, PALs are a requirement for:

• Most post-secondary examine allow candidates;
• Most non-degree granting graduate applications (for instance, certificates applications and graduate diplomas); and
• Any worldwide pupil not included within the exception checklist beneath.

PALs aren’t required by:

• Main and secondary college college students;
• Grasp’s or doctoral diploma college students;*
• In-Canada visiting or change college students learning at a DLI;
• In-Canada examine allow and work allow holders (together with current examine allow holders making use of for an extension);
• In-Canada relations of examine allow or work allow holders;
• College students who’ve already been authorized for a examine allow and intend to journey to Canada for an upcoming program; and
• College students whose functions have been obtained earlier than eight:30 am EST on January 22, 2024.

*On September 18, IRCC introduced that Grasp’s and PhD college students additionally require PALs.

New necessities for worldwide college students altering faculties

Additionally on November 15, IRCC introduced that worldwide college students should apply for a brand new examine allow in the event that they want to change faculties.

Previous to this modification, college students might change faculties on the identical examine allow as long as they knowledgeable IRCC by updating the standing of their on-line account.

On December 13, IRCC introduced that some worldwide college students who’re transferring faculties for winter or spring 2025 can begin learning earlier than having been issued a brand new examine allow – supplied they meet sure situations.

They have to nonetheless have submitted an utility for a brand new examine allow.

*School college students and college vocational college students altering applications and making use of for a brand new examine allow after Nov 1 will probably be topic to the sector of examine necessities (see above).

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New guidelines concerning off-campus work hours for worldwide college students;

On April 29, Miller confirmed that the short-term pandemic measures concerning off-campus work hours for worldwide college students wouldn’t be renewed.

As a short lived pandemic measure, on October 7, 2022, IRCC allowed overseas nationals on examine permits to work over 20 hours per week, with no most restrict, with lessons being in session.

With the top of this short-term measure, the pre-pandemic laws got here again into impact, limiting overseas nationals on examine permits to working solely 20 hours per week off-campus throughout educational phrases.

The federal government introduced that this 20-hour restrict would improve to 24 hours in fall. This new regulation got here into impact on November 15, permitting worldwide college students to work 24 hours whereas class is in session, off campus.

Up to date laws for open work permits for spouses

On January 22, IRCC restricted spousal open work permits to spouses of worldwide college students within the following applications:

• Grasp’s applications; and
• Doctoral applications.

Previous to this modification, spouses of worldwide college students in faculty applications and undergraduate applications had been eligible for spousal open work permits.

This was carried out on March 19. On the similar time, IRCC introduced exceptions for some undergraduate applications.

Spouses or companions of undergraduate college students in one of many following skilled diploma applications at a college may very well be eligible for spousal open work permits (SOWP):

• Physician of Dental Surgical procedure (DDS, DMD).
• Bachelor of Regulation or Juris Physician (LLB, JD, BCL).
• Physician of Drugs (MD).
• Physician of Optometry (OD).
• Pharmacy (PharmD, BS, BSc, BPharm).
• Physician of Veterinary Drugs (DVM).
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN, BSN, BNSc).
• Bachelor of Schooling (B. Ed.).
• Bachelor of Engineering (B. Eng., BE, BASc).

In September, extra limits on spousal open work permits have been introduced, limiting open work allow eligibility to spouses of grasp’s diploma college students enrolled in applications of not less than 16 months in period. This coverage has not come into impact as of now.

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