Private Quebec college graduates no longer eligible for PGWP starting September 2023

Abstract: PGWP will not be granted to graduates from private colleges in Quebec.

Highlights:

• The provinces of Canada do not grant PGWP to international students graduating from private learning institutions.
• Quebec, too, would join the practice of not issuing PGWP to students graduating from private learning institutions.
• The graduates who have completed their degrees from subsidized study programs will be eligible for PGWP.

International students in Canada who graduate from unsubsidized private institutions in Quebec will no longer be eligible for PGWP or Post-Graduate Work Permit. The new rule will be effective from September 1, 2023.

The federal government aims to maintain the integrity of the programs for foreign national students in Quebec through this measure. In the past few years, journalists and the Ministry of Higher Education, Quebec, found few private institutions involved in unethical recruitment practices.

PGWP in Quebec

The private colleges of Quebec have been admitting a sizeable number of foreign national students since 2018. More than 4,900 students have been issued study permits for one of these institutions from 2016 to 2018. Graduates from unsubsidized colleges in Quebec will no longer be eligible for PGWP.

In 2019-2021, approximately 11,500 international students received study permits. The figure proves the sudden increase in the issuance of study permits by private learning institutions.

In other Canadian provinces, overseas students enrolled in a private study program are not issued the PGWP. It is an open work permit that facilitates international student graduates to work in Canada for a period of three years.

When the measure comes into effect, the private institutions of Quebec will follow the same rules as the rest of the country.

PGWP of Canada

The PGWP facilitates international students graduating from Canadian DLI or Designated Learning Institutions to work under any Canadian employer. It also aids in gaining permanent residence by adding points to the CRS or Comprehensive Ranking System.

*Check your eligibility through Y-Axis Canada Immigration Points Calculator.

According to reports, immigrants who have employment experience in Canada integrate better into the workforce than the foreign nationals who directly immigrate to Canada from their native country.

To be eligible for the PGWP, the international student graduates who study in Canada are required to be enrolled in a full-time study program for a minimum of eight months in a DLI of Canada. The study program must have a diploma, degree, or certificate.

In the pandemic, when students were working virtually from home, Canada implemented measures to ease working for international students. They were eligible for online study as well as work. The academic activities of foreign national students are considered for PGWP eligibility.

Do you want to study in Canada? Contact Y-Axis, the leading Overseas Study Consultant in Australia.

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