An Statistics Canada study shows that international students have been a rising source of labor for the Canadian economy over the last decade.
The substantial increase in amount of international students who have arrived to Canada during the past few months has led to an increase in enrollment in PGWPP according to an earlier Statistics Canada study.
In the last decade the number of first-time holders of study permits in Canada has been steadily increasing from 75,000 in the mid-2000s , to 250,000 in the year 2019, according to the study.
In line with this trend, an increasing number of international students have been able to join this program Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP) and have obtained work permits after they graduated.
The PGWPP is an unpaid worker program that gives international students who are able to graduate from Canadian postsecondary institutions the opportunity of getting working permits that allow them that allows them to remain as a worker in Canada. To be considered eligible for the program, applicants must have completed a course of study that is minimum eight months at an accredited institution within Canada.
The validity of the permit will be dependent on the duration of the study program that has been completed with 3 years maximum.
With the openness of a work permit post-graduation work permit permits international graduates working in virtually any profession anyplace within Canada and can alter employers at any point.
The study found that during the time period from 2008 to 2018 the number of Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) holders doubled from 10,300 to 64,000.
This rise was noticed in both genders however, men had more PGWP holders during the same time.
China and India were the main countries of origin for 51 percent from all PGWP holders from 2008 onward, however by 2018 , these two countries represented 66 percent of the issued PGWPs. International students from India have seen their share rise to more than four times the rate from 10 percent during 2008 and 46% by the year 2018. This was not the case for China as well, seeing a drop from 41 percent to 20 percent over the same time.
Ontario has attracted the highest percentage of international students to work location in 2008 with 44%. This has increased to 56% in 2018. The percentage of students who plan to travel to British Columbia and Quebec, the two other most sought-after destinations, decreased between the years 2008 and 2018.
Concerning the labor market participation for PGWP holders The study reveals the fact that, in 2008 10,300 PGWP holders filed tax returns that were positive on T4. This increased to 135 100 by the year the year 2018. In that time, the mean earnings per PGWP holders with a job was also up from $14,500 (in dollars in 2018) from 2008, to $26,800 by the end of 2018 this indicates more involvement on the job market, as per the report.
Additionally, the study revealed that nearly three quarters of all PGWP holders were able to transition to permanent residency within five years of receiving their PGWP. The rates of transition of PGWP holders in college and master’s-level programs were among the highest, particularly among the cohorts that were more recent.
The findings, as the study concludes, emphasize the importance of the PGWPP for both international students as well as to Canada’s economy.
On another hand then again, the PGWPP grants understudies from abroad who have finished their investigations at a supported Canadian post-auxiliary school to acquire working involvement with Canada and to gain the required work experience to be eligible for certain permanently resident streams.”
The PGWPP can help connect Canadian education and working experience. This will increase the odds of getting Canadian permanent residency through The federal Express Entry system. A Canadian degree and working experience can allow Express Entry candidates to score better on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and increase their odds of getting permanent residency status. Other programs, such as that of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) that are available to those who have completed their studies in Quebec and have worked in Quebec, are also the immigration options that favor those who possess the Canadian degree and experience in the workplace.
In a larger perspective, the study further notes, “the PGWPP facilitates international students’ contributions to the Canadian labor market, which increase the pool of skilled applicants for immigration, and helps make Canada an increasingly attractive destination for studies.”
