Canada Tweaks its Work-Permit Program to Better Retain International Students

Foreign college students studying in Canada may find it easier to work in the country after they graduate thanks to changes to the Citizenship and Immigration department’s Post-Graduation Work Permit Program, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education (“Canada Makes it Easier for Foreign Students to Work After Graduation,” April 23, 2008).

Under the new changes, eligible foreign graduates from the country's colleges and universities are no longer required to have a job offer to get a work permit and they may work anywhere in Canada for up to three years after receiving their degree, as opposed to two years under the previous program.

The changes come after foreign–study academic advisors and students complained about the restrictions of the 2005 Post-Graduation Work Permit Program. Under the previous program, international students had only 90 days after graduation to land a job, potential employers often lacked proper information about the program, and the program’s official documents often contained contradictory information.

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