Immigration Canada said recently that the country is extending post-graduate work permits to international graduates whose permits expired or will expire within a recent period of time. Meanwhile, the Canadian government has passed a bill that will allow the immigration minister to invite Express Entry candidates based on an economic goal.
“As Canada’s economy continues to recover, there remain hundreds of thousands of jobs waiting to be filled. Hard-working international graduates make enormous contributions to their communities and our economy,” said Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada (IRCC), in his June 24 post on Twitter. “We’re now extending post-graduate work permits to international graduates whose permits expired or will expire between September 20th, 2021 and December 31, 2022.”
“Tens of thousands of former international students will receive an additional open work permit of 18 months, giving them an opportunity to stay in Canada longer, and helping businesses find the workers they need while allowing us to continue to attract global talent,” he continued.
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The Minister added that the information on how to apply for the special measure will be posted in the coming weeks on the official website of Immigration Canada.
The one-and-a-half-year extension will help more students find jobs and give them more time to prepare for the fast-track immigration process.
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On June 23, 2022, the Senate of Canada approved Bill C-19 which will give the immigration minister the authority to invite Express Entry candidates by occupation, language ability, intended destination, or any other group that supports Canada’s economic goals.
Regarding the Express Entry program which gives Canada a competitive advantage, the immigration minister said in an interview with CIC News on June 21 that there is still room for improvement.
“Where [the Express Entry system] could be improved is at present if there are particular challenges that your economy is facing it might be facing in the long term we don’t have the ability to tailor the invitations to apply to the Express Entry system to meet those in-demand skills or qualifications,” Fraser said.
“If you’re in a circumstance where you have an abundance of applications that are all in one particular sector, and that sector doesn’t have high needs in Canada the Express Entry system as it exists today, is likely to bring in people that might not be perfectly matched to the needs of the Canadian economy.”
The new bill will allow IRCC to include selection factors that support Canada’s labour force needs based on industry, region and language proficiency, so that Canada will be able to select more immigrants who are ready to succeed in the labour market.
“The goal is really to maximize the contribution that a newcomer can make in their communities so they’re set up for success when they arrive, but also that they’re going to meet the needs of the community where they’re going to reside,” Fraser said.
Critics of the bill say the new bill could allow special interest groups to lobby for certain types of candidates. Acknowledging that concern, Fraser said he will interact with local communities and engage with provincial and territorial counterparts as well as business councils and sectors that have high needs so that their needs be well understood.
By April Chu.
