Students Can Now Study Online & Get A Work Permit in Canada

Canada has made a major change in its Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) rules for international students who wish to study in Canada in fall 2020.

Now, international students can enroll in online courses for fall 2020 while staying in their countries and still be eligible for a PGWP permit after moving to Canada.

PGWP permit enables international students to acquire Canadian work experience for a maximum of three years after completing their educational program at a Canadian designated institution (DLI).

Under normal circumstances, a PGWP application does not recognize online courses. However, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has decided to count online courses toward the study requirement for a PGWP application because of the ongoing Coronavirus-related travel restrictions across the globe.

This means that new international students can start online courses at a Canadian DLI for fall 2020 and complete half of their educational program from their country of residence, and obtain PGWP permit to work in Canada following the completion of their studies.

International students will be able to apply for a PGWP permit for the entire three years as long as they move to Canada before the end of 2020. After December 31, IRCC will deduct time from the PGWP permit for the period students spend outside Canada.

Canada has made this major change to enable international students to pursue their post-secondary education rather than deferring it due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.

Although the students will still be paying tuition fees after this change in rules, they will be saving a lot of finances by not being physically present in Canada for their education.

The reform will ultimately help the Canadian economy as the tuition fees from international students will help to support thousands of jobs at colleges and universities across Canada.

Via: CIC News