Permanent Residency for Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) holders

Each year thousands of international students flock to one of the most famous study destinations (Canada) in the world with the intention to settle permanently there. Applicants who Study in Canada often look for ways to settle permanently in Canada post-completion of their academic programs. One of the most accessible PR pathway openers for an international student is a permanent residency for Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) holders.

This is possible because foreign students in Canada are eligible for a PGWP post the completion of their study programs. This helps them to gain the relevant skills to qualify to apply for a Canadian PR visa. Besides, the validity of this PGWP is correlated with the duration of the academic program such as:

After graduation, get a PGWP (Open Work Permit) (1 – 3 years).

• Study length of 1 year – Get 1 year of Work Permit.
• With a study length of 1.5 years – Get 1.5 years of Work Permit.
• With a study length of 2-4 years – Get 3 years [Max] Work Permit.

Options for PR Visa for PGWP holders in Canada

The Permanent Residency for Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) holders are now quite easy via the following ways:

• Express Entry – CEC class
• Express Entry – With PNP support
• Express Entry – With LMIA support
• PR based on AIP [Atlantic Immigration Program]
• PR based on PNP

The Express Entry (EE) System:

The Express Entry (EE) System is Canada’s top immigration pathway for skilled workers and international students who wish to settle permanently in Canada. An international student’s drawback in getting a PR visa is the need for showing skilled work experience. However, to curb the same Canada offers the Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP), so that international students can gain the required skills to apply to Canada PR pathways.

Under the EE System as per your eligibility, you can apply to one of its sub-streams and get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for a Canada PR visa.

Canadian Experience Class (CEC) – Express Entry

Candidates with recent Canadian job experience who want to immigrate permanently to Canada should apply for the Express Entry Canadian Experience Class (CEC) sub-stream. A CEC application can be processed in as little as 6-8 months, making it one of the quickest paths to permanent residence in Canada.

Apart from the multiple factors, one factor that international students must match is the need for having a minimum of 1 year of Full time or equivalent part-time work experience (1560 hours) in Canada. However, work experience gained during your study period can not be counted towards this eligibility factor for CEC. Thus, if an applicant post-studying in Canada gains work experience on a PGWP, they can apply to the Express Entry CEC category with a minimum of 1 year of work experience.

In addition, to the mandatory work experience requirement, international students must meet qualifying terms such as:

• Must have minimum language skill level such as:
• CLB 7 (English/French) for job profiles coming under TEER 0 or TEER 1.
• CLB 5 (English/French) for job profiles coming under TEER 2 or TEER 3.
• Besides, you must submit valid language test results for English – IELTS/CELPIP and or French – TCF/TEF.
• However, your language test results must not be more than 2 years old at the time of applying to the Express Entry (EE) System.
• Be admissible to Canada
• Also, there is no set requirement for a certain education level to apply to the Express Entry – CEC category. But you can still share the same to raise your overall CRS rank in the Express Entry (EE) pool. To do the same you can do the following:
• Earn points for a Canadian certificate, diploma, or degree earned from a secondary (high school) or post-secondary institution in Canada.

PNP Support – Express Entry

As an international student with work experience qualifying work experience on a PGWP, you can apply to the EE System. After applying your EE profile enters an Express Entry (EE) pool. Where your profile gets a rank under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Any applicant aims to get out of this pool by matching the CRS cut-off in an EE draw that is held by IRCC. Once you clear an EE draw, you will get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canada PR.

However, if you want to increase your chances of getting an ITA for Canada PR then you can also apply to ‘Enhanced PNPs’. These are the PNP programs that are linked to the Express Entry (EE) System. So, you can apply to any of the PNP sub-streams that are linked with the infamous EE system. Each province holds PNP draws and issues invitations to qualifying applicants to get a Provincial Nomination Certificate (PNC).

Once you can get a provincial nomination under the PNP program against your Express Entry profile, you will get an extra 600 CRS points in the EE pool. This increases your chances of getting an ITA to apply for permanent residency in Canada.

LMIA Support – Express Entry

Another pathway to raise your CRS score in the EE pool is by getting an LMIA-approved job offer from Canada. An LMIA-approved job offer means that the Canadian employer has approval from the federal government to hire a foreign skilled worker for a job position for which it is unable to find and hire a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

As per the same, you can claim the following additional points if your job offer comes under:

• TEER 00 – 200 points.
• TEER 0, 1, 2, 3 – 50 points.

With such extra points, you can raise your chances of getting an ITA to submit a Canada PR visa application. And claim your permanent residency in Canada soon.

PR based on AIP [Atlantic Immigration Program]

As an international student, you can get Canada PR via the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP). To qualify for the same, you must meet certain terms such as:

• Have completed your study program from a recognised post-secondary institution in Atlantic Canada (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island).
• Must have completed a minimum of 2 years of full-time education.
• Had a valid visa/permit to work and study in Canada.
• Lived in one of the Atlantic provinces for a minimum of 16 months before you completed your study program.
• Have a valid job offer from an AIP-designated Canadian employer.
• The job offer must be full-time.
• And comes under NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4.
• Have a minimum language skill level of English and or French.
• NOC TEER 0, 1 job offer – CLB/NCLC 5.
• NOC TEER 2, 3 Job offer – CLB/NCLC 4.
• Language test results (IELTS/CELPIP/TCF/TEF) must not be more than 2 years old at the time of applying to AIP.
• If you are living and working in Canada, then you do not need to show proof of funds to apply to AIP.

PR based on PNP

Each province and territory in Canada has its immigration program known as the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). This is because each PNP caters to the needs of its province or territory. The PNP aims to meet the labour market and economic needs of the province/territory.
So, provinces and territories that are a part of the PNP program (except Quebec and Nunavut) want applicants who have a connection to the province via previous study or work experience gained in the province. As a result, an international student may qualify to apply for a PNP in the province where they completed their academic education.

In short, looking at the Permanent Residency for Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) holders options, you can apply hassle-free under the expert guidance of a Canadian Immigration Expert.

Global Vision Immigration – CICC licensed Canada Immigration Firm provides end-to-end service until PR from the placement in a minimum TEER 2 level job. To know your options Contact our Head Office for immediate consideration.