Many international students who complete post-secondary education in Canada wish to stay and obtain Canadian work experience.

 

Once they have completed their studies in an eligible program at an eligible Canadian post-secondary institution, international graduates can apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), which allows them to work in Canada.

 

Under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program, international graduates can obtain three years open work permit, allowing them to work for any Canadian employer in any industry.

 

They are not required to have a Canadian job offer at the time of application. To be eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit, international students:

 

• Must have studied full-time for the eight months preceding the completion of their program and must have graduated from:

  • A public post-secondary educational institution (university, college, or CEGEP)

  • A Private post-secondary educational institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as public institutions, and receives at least 50 per cent of its financing for operations from government grants

  • A Canadian private educational institution authorized by provincial or territorial statute to confer degrees

• Must apply for a work permit within 90 days of receiving written confirmation from their academic institution that they have met the requirements of their program

• Must have completed and passed the program of study and received written notification that they are eligible to obtain their degree, diploma, or certificate

• Must have a valid study permit when applying for the work permit

• The program of study must be a minimum of two years for the graduate to obtain the three years' work permit

• If the program was less than two years but longer than eight months, the graduate can still obtain a work permit for the same duration as the program of study

 

In case, where a student has obtained a one-year degree or diploma from an accredited educational institution within two years of having successfully completed a previous accredited Canadian post-secondary degree or diploma, he/she may qualify for a three-year open work permit.

 

Applying for Permanent Residency 

 

If you are a foreign student who recently graduated in Canada, you likely have the qualities to make a successful transition from temporary to permanent residence.

 

A. Canadian Experience Class (CEC) - This program seeks to secure candidates with the specific skilled working experience obtained in Canada with proper authorization.

 

To apply for this program, applicants must also be planning to live outside Quebec. The specific skilled working experience being sought after are:

 

• Management job experience

• Professional job experience -  people usually need a degree from a university for these jobs (e.g. doctors, architects etc.)

• Technical jobs and skilled trades experience - people usually need a college diploma or to train as an apprentice to do these jobs (e.g. chefs, electricians etc.)

 

Candidate must have at least one year of work experience or having at least 1560 hours of paid work (continuous full-time or an equal amount in part-time).

 

The paid work experience must have occurred within the last 3 years before you apply. Self-employment and work experience gained while you were a full-time student (for example, on a co-op work term) does not count under this program.

 

B. The Quebec Experience Class Program (PEQ) - The Quebec Experience Class Program (PEQ) is the provincial equivalent to the federal Canadian Experience Class program. The PEQ is designed specifically for foreign workers and students currently living in Quebec.

 

It should be noted that the PEQ is not a point-based system such as the QSW program. As long as you met the specific requirements you would be qualified. As such, the processing time for a PEQ application is significantly shorter as compared to other Immigration Quebec programs.

 

Depending whether you are a worker or a student there are 2 set of requirements for the PEQ application.