Beyond its significance to international students, employers in Canada benefit significantly from the PGWPs
Besides world-class education policies and systems and a high standard of living, Canada offers a significant advantage to international students: access to Post-Graduation Work Permit or PGWP once they have graduated.
The PGWP, as you can guess, is an open-work permit that can be used wisely to obtain work experience in Canada, a priceless asset in securing a permanent resident or PR status in the country.
Work experience in Canada is a key factor that ensures that a candidate can successfully qualify for immigration programs, such as the Express Entry or EE and also the Provincial Nominee Programs or PNPs.
Express Entry is the country’s primary immigration pathway to the PR and it operates on a system that is exclusively points-based but takes into consideration the factors related to human capital. Work experience in Canada offers individuals using this mode some additional points towards the Comprehensive Ranking System or CRS, enabling them more competitive than other potential candidates.
Those with a degree and Canadian work experience is undoubtedly going to have a higher chance of being successful when filing an application under the PNPs or, if willing to study in Quebec, as part of the Quebec Experience Program or the PEQ.
Beyond the importance it holds for international students, employers in Canada also significantly benefit from the PGWPs.
Typically, to onboard a foreign national employee, an employer in Canada has to pass through a costly and lengthy process popular as a Labour Market Impact Assessment or LMIA, which is a key application that they need to submit to prove that they have tried hiring a Canadian but have been unsuccessful in doing so.
The same procedure is not required for individuals with an open-work permit like for PGWP holders. Individuals with an open-work permit often give Canadian employers the opportunity of retaining much-needed talent without the burden and barrier typically associated with the onboarding process.
While the process of recruiting a candidate on a PGWP may not be needing a significant amount of legwork on behalf of the employer, we cannot say that the same holds true if the employer prefers a foreign national to keep working beyond the PGWP’s expiry date. Work permits always have limited duration. This is where the clash with the PGWP usually begins.
In a majority of cases, PGWPs cannot be extended. Moreover, an LMIA application needs to be approved before a worker can apply for yet another, new and employer-specific work permit.
This will soon change now. On 8th January this year, the Canadian government introduced a policy that is going to permit former international students with an about to expire or expiring PGWP to apply for a new open-work permit.
The new policy permits individuals who meet the following conditions to apply for an 18-month open work permit:
- Hold a PGWP that expired after or on January 30 last year or a PGWP that is about to expire in 4 months or lesser from the original date of application;
- Remain in Canada;
- Have a temporary status or are applying to restore the status.
The application process has started on January 27 and will be on until July 27, 2021.
The policy change will allow Canadian employers, especially those who tend to recruit foreign nationals on a PGWP to continue without going through the costly, lengthy, and tedious process that was mandatory in the past.
For Canadian employers who prefer recruiting foreign talent, this means that they will no longer have to compromise with the quality of the labor force due to Canadian immigration constraints. Being able to retain the workers they need, irrespective of the immigration status and nationalities will prove beneficial not only for Canadian companies but also for the Canadian economy.
Get in touch with us on WhatsApp or Call us at 905-671-4442. You may even email us at info@immigrationterminal.ca if you have any queries about your temporary or permanent residence application.