International Students: Studying, Working & Immigrating to Canada

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Session Overview

• Background

• Inland Processing Issues

• Study Permit Extensions

• Work Opportunities for International Students

• Immigrating to Canada

• Questions and Comments

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Introduction

• In Canada the number of International Students increased by 60% from 2001-2010 to over 218,000

• 96,147 International Students entered Canada to study in 2010

• Foreign students bring a rich culture to our classrooms

• Provincial governments regulate education and schools in Canada

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Inland Processing

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Applying for Extensions• Complete the Application “Change Conditions or Extend

Your Stay in Canada” at least 30 days before your current permit expires and submit to CPC- Vegreville

• You can apply on line to extend your Study Permit as well as apply for your Off Campus Work Permit.

• In general, online applications are processed more quickly than paper applications.

• Monitor the processing times on our website so that you are aware of how long your application will take to process and submit your application accordingly.

• Visit www.cic.gc.ca

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Implied status

If you apply for a renewal of your study permit, and the permit expires before you receive an answer, you can continue to study in Canada under the same conditions until you receive a decision.

If your study permit has expired, and you have not applied for an extension, you must leave Canada.

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Restoration

In some cases, you may apply to restore your status as a student within 90 days of losing it. You may only apply if you have continued to meet the requirements under which you were allowed to enter and stay in Canada and you have met all the conditions imposed on your permit.

After you apply to restore your status, you may stay in Canada until a decision is made on your application but you are not allowed to study until your status has been restored.

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Employment Opportunities for StudentsTopics

• Co-op programs• On-Campus

employment• Off-Campus

employment• Post-graduate

employment• Spousal employment

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Employment for Co-op Programs

• Have a valid study permit• Intended employment must be an essential

part of your program of study in Canada• Your employment must be part of your

academic program, certified by a letter from a responsible academic official of the institution

• The co-op employment cannot form more than 50%of the total program of study

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On-Campus Employment

• Ability to work without a work permit on campus of the institution you are enrolled full time

• Be registered full time at a university, college or other institutions authorized by the province to confer degrees

• Possess a valid and subsisting study permit

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On-Campus EmploymentDefinitions

• May work at more than one job as long as on-campus

• On-Campus is defined as employment facilities within the boundaries of the campus

• Eligible to work at different locations of the same campus so long as they are within the same municipality

• Employer can be the institution or private businesses on campus

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Off-Campus Employment• You must be registered as a full-time student at an eligible post-

secondary educational institution participating in the Off-Campus Work Permit Program

• Have a valid study permit• Have been a full-time student for at least 6 of the 12 months

preceding the date of your work permit application • Be in satisfactory academic standing• Allows you to work part time during the academic session and

full time during breaks• If you are no longer a full-time student, if you move to a non-

participating institution, or if you do not maintain satisfactory academic results, you must return your work permit immediately to a local CIC office.

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Post-Graduation Employment

• Available to students who graduate from a Canadian University,Community College, CEGEP, Publicly funded trade/technical school, or

• Private institution authorized by provincial statute to grant degrees.

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Post-graduation EmploymentEligibility

• You must have studied full time in at Canadian Institution in Canada

• You must possess a valid study permit when you make your application

• You must have completed a program of study that lasted at least 8 months

• Application must be made within 90 days of formal written notification that you have met the requirements of your program

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Post-graduation EmploymentDuration

If the official length of your program of study is…

• less than eight months you are not eligible for this program • less than two years but more than eight months you may get

a work permit for a period no longer than the length of your program of study (for example, if you studied for nine months, a work permit may be issued for a period of nine months) two years or more a work permit may be issued for three years

• two years or more a work permit may be issued for three years.

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Spouses And Common Law Partners of Students

• Spouses/common law spouses of full time Students or Post Graduate Work Permit Holders may be eligible for open or open/restricted work permits. They do not require an offer of employment.

**This is intended for spouses/common law partners who are accompanying either a full time student or PGWP holder and are not student themselves

• Can apply for a study permit or work permit after entry as the spouse/common-law partner or family member of a study or work permit holder

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International Students~

Options Following Post Graduate Work Permit

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Working Temporarily in Canada

These steps must be followed before you apply for a workpermit:

• An employer must first offer you a job

• Service Canada must normally provide a positive labour market opinion (LMO) of your job offer. However, some types of work are exempt from this process

• After Service Canada confirms that a foreign worker may fill the job, you apply to CIC for your work permit

• To get a work permit, you must fill out an Application for Work Permit. A work permit is issued if the application is approved

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Immigrating to Canada:Application Categories

• Economic Class– Skilled Workers– Investors– Entrepreneurs– Self-Employed– Canadian Experience Class

• Humanitarian Class– Refugees– Humanitarian and Compassionate Considerations

• Family Class– Spouses– Children– Parents– Grandparents– Others

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Federal Skilled Worker ClassTwo Categories

• Applications for permanent residence under the Federal Skilled Worker Class can be submitted by foreign nationals who are skilled workers and professionals.

• Category 1

Applications from skilled workers with evidence of one year of continuous full-time or equivalent paid work experience in the last 10 years in at least one of the National Occupation Classification (NOC) codes (and not combined partial year experience in multiple NOCs) specified in the Ministerial Instructions.

**up to a maximum of 10,000 new, complete applications per year with no more than 5% (500 applications) of this maximum in any one NOC category;

Category 2• you have an offer of arranged employment in Canada. The employment

offer should be:• in writing, • indeterminate in duration, and • meet the arranged employment factor described in this guide.

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Eligible Occupations as of July 1, 2011

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- 0631 Restaurant and Food Service Managers – 0811 Primary Production Managers (Except

Agriculture) – 1122 Professional Occupations in Business

Services to Management (Cap reached) – 1233 Insurance Adjusters and Claims

Examiners – 2121 Biologists and Related Scientists – 2151 Architects – 3111 Specialist Physicians – 3112 General Practitioners and Family

Physicians – 3113 Dentists – 3131 Pharmacists – 3142 Physiotherapists – 3152 Registered Nurses – 3215 Medical Radiation Technologists

– 3222 Dental Hygienists & Dental Therapists – 3233 Licensed Practical Nurses – 4151 Psychologists – 4152 Social Workers – 6241 Chefs – 6242 Cooks – 7215 Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry

Trades – 7216 Contractors and Supervisors, Mechanic

Trades – 7241 Electricians (Except Industrial & Power

System) – 7242 Industrial Electricians – 7251 Plumbers – 7265 Welders & Related Machine Operators – 7312 Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics – 7371 Crane Operators – 7372 Drillers & Blasters - Surface Mining,

Quarrying & Construction – 8222 Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and

Service

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Self-Assessment Tool

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If you meet these minimum requirements, your application will then be processed according to the six selection factors in the skilled worker points grid.

Factor Points

1 Education 25

2 Proficiency in English and French 24

3 Experience 21

4 Age 10

5 Arranged employment in Canada 10

6 Adaptability 10

Potential maximum: 100

Minimum pass mark: 67

Selection Factors: Age

Age Points

21 to 49 10

20 or 50 8

19 or 51 6

18 or 52 4

17 or 53 2

16 or 54 0

Selection Factors: Language

• Canada’s two official languages: English and French

• You must prove the level of language proficiency you claim on your application.

• To do this, you must take a language test from an agency designated by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) before starting the immigration process.

• Points awarded for level of proficiency (high, moderate, basic, or none)

Selection Factors: Language

1st Official Read Write Listen Speak

High 4 4 4 4

Moderate 2 2 2 2

Basic * 1 1 1 1

2nd Official Read Write Listen Speak

High 2 2 2 2

Moderate 2 2 2 2

Basic * 1 1 1 1

* Maximum 2 points

Selection Factors: Education

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Credential Points

Secondary School 5

12 Years + 1 Year Cred. 12

13 Years + 1 Year Cred. 15

14 Years + 2 Year Cred. 20

15 Years + 3 Year Cred. 22

17 Years + Grad. Cred. 25

Selection Factors: Experience

• Points only awarded for paid experience• Must be continuous work• Can be in more than one occupation

Years Points

1 15

2 17

3 19

4 21

Selection Factors: Arranged Employment

10 points

• Full time, indeterminate Job Offer “confirmed” by HRSDC

OR

• Currently working in Canada on work permit valid for at least next 12 months (includes Postgrad; Intra-company & NAFTA)

Adaptability

MAXIMUM 10 Points

– 3, 4 or 5 points depending upon spouse’s post-secondary educational attainment

• Previous study in Canada

– 5 points if applicant or spouse/partner completed at least 2 year post-secondary program in Canada

Selection Factors: Adaptability

Previous work in Canada• 5 points if Applicant or spouse/partner have at least one year full

time experience in Canada on work permit

Arranged employment• 5 points if applicant received points under the Arranged

Employment factor

Relatives in Canada• 5 points if applicant or spouse/partner has a Canadian citizen or

permanent resident relative (living in Canada)

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Inadmissibility

• Criminal

• Medical

• Misrepresentation

• Security

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Eligibility Tool

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Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

• CEC was introduced as a new class of Economic Immigration

• Selection is based on a pass/fail system.– If the minimum requirements are met, the applicant is

eligible– There is no point system as with the Federal Skilled

Worker Program.

• The selection criteria for the class are tied to determinants of successful labour market integration

• CEC targets those who came to Canada to work or study• Permanent residence can be granted without leaving the

country

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1 year of work in Canada(NOC 0, A, B)

2 years of work in Canada(NOC 0, A, B)

Post-Graduate Stream Temporary Foreign Workers

Canadian PSE Credential

Language proficiency in English or FrenchModerate for NOC 0,A

Basic for NOC B

Pass / Fail Selection Criteria

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Foreign Graduates require:– A Canadian post secondary educational credential which requires at

least 2 academic years (sixteen months of full-time study).• The applicant must graduate from a program of study lasting at least two

years OR• Have a one-year master’s program with previous education completed in

Canada – The credential must be granted by a Canadian public or private post-

secondary educational institution recognized by a Province.

• Temporary Foreign Workers– No minimal educational requirement

***Studies that do not count***- Canadian distance learning programs- English or French as a Second Language programs

Selection Criteria - Education

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• Foreign Graduates require:– 12 months of recent full-time (or equivalent) Canadian skilled work

experience at NOC 0, A or B (management, professional and skilled and technical occupations)

• The experience must be acquired in Canada within the 24 months preceding the application for the CEC

• You do not have to be in employment at time of application• The experience has to be acquired after you have completed the

required study and obtained a Canadian credential (Off-Campus Work Permit Program or coop work does not count)

• Temporary Foreign Workers require:– 24 months of recent full-time (or equivalent) Canadian skilled work

experience at NOC 0, A or B • The experience must be acquired in Canada within the 36 months

preceding the application for the CEC• You do not have to be employed at time of your application

Selection Criteria - Work Experience

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• Different language requirements based on the skill levels of applicants – Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 7 – i.e. moderate

proficiency – for applicants with managerial or professional experience (NOC 0 or A)

– CLB of 5 – i.e. basic proficiency – for applicants with skilled and technical experience (NOC B)

Q: How do you prove language proficiency?

A: By providing test results from a designated institution (Example: IELTS or TEF) No other written evidence will be accepted. Results are valid for 2 years from the time the test was taken

Selection Criteria - Language

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• Refugee claimants with pending applications to remain in Canada

• Workers without status (undocumented) and individuals subject to Removal Orders

• Self-employed persons holding work permits

• Graduates who have studied in Canada under Canadian International Development Agency or Foreign Affairs and International Trades scholarships

***Status in Canada***Applicants must have temporary resident status during their period of work experience and any period of full-time study or training

Who does not qualify?

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How Can I Get Canadian Immigration Information?

www.cic.gc.ca• General information• Application Kits• Fee Schedules• CIC Publications• Links to Related Sites• Updates on Immigration and Refugee

Protection Act www.canadainternational.gc.ca• General information• Links to other resources