Studying in Canada - Your Pathway to Permanent Residency in Canada

Studying in Canada as a Pathway to Permanent Residency 
There are many ways that one can obtain Permanent Residency for Canada. Today we are going to discuss education in Canada and how obtaining a Canadian post secondary education is a pathway to obtaining Permanent Residency for Canada. 

Once you are in Canada on a Study Permit it is important to maintain your status. Therefore while you are studying make sure to renew your Study Permit as required. Once you have completed your studies in Canada you can take advantage of obtaining a Post Graduation Open Work Permit for Canada. This work permit allows you to work for any employer in Canada upon the completion of your study program and is equal to the length of your study program up to a maximum of 3 years. Therefore a graduate that has completed a 3 or 4 year post secondary education in Canada is eligible for a 3 year open Post graduation work permit therefore allowing you to remain in Canada for a total of 6 or 7 years. 

The Post Graduation Open Work Permit was created by Canadian Immigration to retain international students to contribute to Canada's workforce. Under this program international graduates can obtain a 3 year open work permit allowing them to work for any Canadian employer in any industry.They are not required to have a job offer from a Canadian employer to be granted their Post Graduate Open Work Permit. 

Am I eligible to Apply for a Post Graduation Open Work Permit?
To be eligible to apply for a post graduation open work permit international students MUST;

1. Have continuously studied full time for the 8 months preceding the completion of their program and must have graduated from a Canadian approved designated post secondary institution. 

2. Apply for a work permit within 90 days of written confirmation from their academic institution that hey have met their academic requirements of their program of study.

3. Have completed and passed the program of study and received written notification that they are eligible to obtain their degree, diploma of certificate and have a valid study permit at the time of applying for the post graduate open work permit. 
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4. The program of study must be a minimum of two years for the graduate to obtain the three year work permit. However, if the program was less than two years but longer than eight months, the graduate can still obtain a work permit for the same duration as the program of study. In cases where a student has obtained a one year degree or diploma from an accredited educational institution within two years of having successfully completed a previous accredited Canadian post-secondary degree or diploma, he or she may qualify for a three-year open work permit; and while a student must have been studying full time in the eight months preceding the date of application for an open work permit, an exception is made in the case where a student fulfills all the requirements except full time study in the last session of their program. For example, if a student only needs two courses in the final session to complete the program but all previous study has been full time, the student may still apply for the Post-Graduate Work Permit Program.

Contact Us for more information on how you can remain in Canada after your studies

​So how can I obtain Permanent Residency after I have received my Post Graduate Open Work Permit? 
Once you have obtained skilled work experience from within Canada you are then eligible to apply for the Express Entry Canadian Experience Class (CEC) which leads to Permanent Residency.