To uplift the economy that went for a toss owing to the lockdowns imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19 and address the severe labor shortages across Canada, Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, has finally lifted the 20-hour-per-week cap on the number of hours post-secondary students can work off-campus while class is in session.
Currently, international students in Canada can work off-campus during their studies for a maximum of 20 hours per week. This limit, however, is lifted during breaks such as the summer and winter holidays.
As a result, from November 15, 2022, until December 31, 2023, international students in Canada with off-campus work authorization on their study permit won't be constrained by the earlier 20-hour-per-week rule. This will, thus, prove to be a significant boost for Canadian employers and Indian students.
Note: Foreign nationals who have recently submitted their study permit application can also benefit from this new rule, the condition being their application gets approved by the authorities.
Going by the statistics, Canada currently has over 500,000 international students who are potentially suitable to fuel Canada's post-pandemic growth along with their studies.
IRCC To Launch A Pilot Project
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is also planning to launch a pilot project in October 2022. This project aims to automate the current processing cycle of study permit extensions which is not only tedious but time-consuming as well.
Going by the details disclosed, the applications included in this pilot project will have a relatively high approval rate, as all applicants have previously been approved to study in Canada.
Moreover, this pilot project will encompass a small group of applicants who could see their extended study permit processed much faster, with the goal of improving client service. It's projected that if the pilot becomes successful, IRCC will expand it in order to help reduce processing times and allow officers to focus on more complex applications.
Therefore, the temporary lifting of the 20-hours-per-week norm and pilot project is the Canadian government's latest effort to curb labor shortages across various sectors and enhance client service and processing time.
Other recent efforts by the government to benefit international students and recent graduates include:
- A transition period for those studying online from abroad
- An opportunity for those with expired or expiring post-graduation work permits to get an additional 18-month open work permit
What Does Sean Fraser Have To Say?
“With the economy growing faster than employers can hire new workers, Canada needs to look at every option to have the skills and workforce needed to fuel our growth. Immigration will be crucial to addressing our labor shortage. By allowing international students to work more while they study, we can help ease pressing needs in many sectors across the country while providing more opportunities for international students to gain valuable Canadian work experience and continue contributing to our short-term recovery and long-term prosperity.”
– Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship
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