100% online study will not affect PGWP: Canada

Highlighting the significance and contribution of international students towards the Canadian economy, the government of Canada announces more PGWP relaxation to International students who are completing their study programs from outside the country.

As per the new update, even if a student completes all his study programs online, they will still be eligible for up to 3 years of Post Graduate Work Permit.

These measures apply to all international students who

• are enrolled in a PGWP-eligible study program
• have been enrolled in a program that was in progress in March 2020
  • or have begun a study program from spring 2020
  • or will begin in Fall 2021
• Meet all PGWP requirements
• have a study permit or approval for a study permit, or they have applied for a study permit before starting their program and are eventually approved.

With this new update, all the online study that international students complete between spring 2020 and December 31, 2021, will count towards the length of their PGWP, even if they complete 100% of it. Further, it also applies to students who are completing 2 study programs.

Any time spent by international students after December 31, 2021, will not count towards the length of a PGWP.

PGWP is a vital component of Canada’s international education policy that allows international students to gain job experience after completing their studies. During this time, they may also apply for permanent residency.

The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P., Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Canada quoted, “Whether as health workers on the pandemic’s front lines, or as founders of some of the most promising start-ups, international students are giving back to communities across Canada as we continue the fight against the pandemic. Their status may be temporary, but the contributions of international students are lasting. This new policy means that students hoping to work in Canada after graduation won’t miss out on opportunities, while ensuring that Canada meets the urgent needs of our economy for today and tomorrow. Our message to international students and graduates is simple: We don’t just want you to study here, we want you to stay here.”

The Canadian government has recently also allowed international students with either expired or expiring PGWP to apply for a one-time open work permit. The move gave International students more time to gain the Canadian job experience required to apply for the Canadian immigration program.

Canada has set a target of welcoming more than 4 lakh migrants per year under its immigration level plan 2021-2023. The recent changes to the PGWP will enable many students to meet the immigration requirements.

India is the number 1 source country from where tens of thousands of international students go to Canada. In 2019, IRCC issued over 2,19,000 study permits to Indians alone.

If you also want to study in Canada, you can contact our Canada study visa experts to fulfill the visa requirement. For this, you can call us at 92563-92563 or visit any of our nearest branches.