Why Canada? Work privileges!
When choosing where and what to study, first you need to decide in which country you wish to study.
There can be all kinds of factors to consider such as the program you wish to study, the culture or society that would suit you best, whether you are looking for a huge city or a small town or something in between, the weather, your budget, and so on. For such a serious decision, you need to do a lot of research!
One of the key attractions for those studying in Canada is in the work privileges and opportunities. Canada has a vibrant and complex economy with a huge range of employment in high tech, business and finance, manufacturing and many others.
For those who qualify for a study permit at a Designated Learning Institute (DLI), they automatically qualify for a work permit enabling them to work on or off campus for up to 20 hours a week (in 2023 even this limit was removed). Students can work full-time in any school recess. Of course students also qualify for a one to three year work permit after graduation depending upon the length of program they have completed.
During this period students can seek to obtain Permanent Resident (PR) status through a number of avenues including special ones only offered to international student graduates. For those who do not achieve this before their work permit has expired, Canada still offers easy extensions of the work permit.
This week (March 17, 2023) Canada announced:
International graduates with expired or expiring work permits will be able to extend their work authorization in Canada for another 18 months, under a new immigration measure announced Friday.
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2023/03/canada-announces-extension-of-post-graduation-work-permits-for-up-to-18-months-to-retain-high-skilled-talent.html
The announcement gave these reasons for the offer to international students:
Talented and skilled international graduates play a vital role in addressing Canada’s labour shortage, and those nearing the end of their PGWP are already well integrated into Canada’s labour market. The additional work permit will allow eligible applicants to continue contributing to the Canadian economy while gaining valuable work experience and preparing for the opportunity to apply for permanent residence.
So if it is a high priority for you to earn money while you study and to have an extensive period after graduation to get more advanced work experience and generate even better earnings, Canada should be one of the countries that you consider when making your decision. CUAC offices worldwide are available to give sophisticated guidance on Canadian rules and regulations. See: www.cuaac.ca/offices For more information on the meaning of DLI noted above, see our guest blog from a Canadian lawyer at this link: https://www.cuac.ca/post/choosing-the-right-designated-learning-institute-dli Comments can be sent to blog@cuac.ca