Immigrating to Canada as a permanent resident after completing the study program is a dream of every Indian student. To your surprise, the Government of Canada also helps eligible students settle in Canada. Yes, it's true. The reason behind this is that the Canadian economy heavily depends on the contribution of immigrants. International students are ideal candidates for immigration to Canada, as they are young, bring a lot of investment, and help fill the labor shortage in Canada.
Some immigration streams just require Canadian higher education credentials, but having Canadian job experience is the key to several immigration programs. To help international students gain Canadian work experience, the Canadian government gives them the option to stay back in Canada for up to three years on Post Graduation Work Permit. During the PGWP, with relevant job experience, international students can apply for permanent residency.
How to Choose Canadian immigration program as an international student
There are many immigration programs to which you can apply. Several factors will shape your choice, which includes:
- Your educational qualification
- The length of your Canadian work experience
- The kind of job experience you have
- Your location in Canada
- The province to which you wish to apply for PR
- Your language proficiency
- Application fees and processing time
Immigration Programs for international students in Canada
Express Entry
Express entry is a primary way the Canadian federal government offers three immigration programs: Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program, and Federal Skilled Trades Program.
Under express entry, the candidate submits their applications online to the express entry pool. The Canadian government sends an invitation to the candidates based on their Comprehensive Ranking score.
The Canadian experience class is one of the most popular immigration programs international students can apply to. For this program, Canadian work experience is required that must have been gained in the 3 years.
Provincial Nominee program
The PNP is the primary method used by Canadian provinces to target certain candidates based on their labor market needs. However, only the Canadian federal government has the power to grant permanent resident status.
Submitting an immigration application under PNP is a two-step process; first, you apply to a provincial PNP program to which you want to apply, and if your application gets selected, you submit a second application to the federal government for your Canadian PR.
Here are some of the PNP streams to which you can apply as an international student graduate.
Ontario
There are two streams for international students in Ontario: Masters Graduate Stream and Ph.D. Graduate Stream. For both these, you do not need to have a job offer.
British Columbia
There are multiple options for international students to apply for PR in British Columbia, which include the Express Entry British Columbia stream and the Skills Immigration Stream. To apply under its sub-stream, a job offer from an approved employer is required. International students do not need a job offer to apply to the BC International postgraduate category.
Manitoba
Manitoba has a dedicated stream for international students called International Education Stream. The stream has further categories: Career Employment Pathway, Student Entrepreneur Pathway, and Graduate Internship Pathway.
Saskatchewan
Newly graduated international students can apply to the student subcategory of the Saskatchewan experience category. A full-time job offer from a Saskatchewan employer is also required for this.
New Brunswick
Eligible international graduates may apply for New Brunswick Skilled Worker Stream. The stream is not specifically for international students. Still, they can apply to it if they have completed at least one year of study in the province at a recognized institution.
Nova Scotia
international student graduates who have completed at least two years of study in this province can apply to the International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream.
Prince Edward Island
There is an International Graduate Stream for international students who have a job offer in Prince Edward Island. The job offer must match their field of study and must be in a skilled profession.
Newfoundland and Labrador
There are two streams for international students in Newfoundland and Labrador: International Graduate Category and International Graduate Entrepreneur Category. For the International Graduate Category, a job offer from a Newfoundland-and-Labrador employer is required. The International Graduate Entrepreneur Category is for students who have studied in the province and wish to run a business.
Quebec
Like the federal government, Quebec has its own economic immigration program in which eligible students may apply to the Quebec Experience Program. For this program, a job offer, work experience as well as language skills in French are required.
Atlantic Immigration Pilot
International students who have studied in Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, or New Brunswick may apply to the Atlantic International Graduate Program under Atlantic Immigration Pilot to settle there. This program does not require previous work experience.
Indeed, studying in Canada offers several immigration opportunities to international students. For detailed information on how you can apply for your Canada study visa , we recommend you contact our Canada study visa experts. Pyramid eServices is one of the leading study abroad consultants offering the best study visa services since 2005. You can contact us by visiting any of our branches or calling at 92563-92563