The Canadian government announced its readiness to make new changes to the post-graduation work rights of international students, in accordance with the PGWP program, which allows them to work in Canada temporarily after graduation.
The Labor Code of Canada stipulates that international students have the right to extract employment after graduation, to work in Canada after graduating from a designated educational institution (DLI) for foreign international students looking to build their careers in the country.
IRCC announced a 214% increase in participation in the PGWP
Based on internal reporting from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), program participation increased by 214% in 2023 compared to 2018.
For his part, Canadian Immigration Minister Mark Miller confirmed during press statements that the ministry is currently working to reorganize the program to better meet the needs of the targeted labor market and immigration goals.
Giving priority to work permits for a specific category of students
According to the proposed amendments, these amendments are intended to give priority to work permits for students entering professions suffering from labor shortages, which may lead to restricting permits for graduates from programs with less market relevance.
Implementation of the decision in January 2025
This new amendment to the issuance of post-study work permits for international students is scheduled to be reviewed in the spring of 2024, and is scheduled to be implemented effectively in January 2025.
The implementation of this decision will lead to a significant decrease in the number of international students and postgraduate work program holders in Canada.
Decrease in international student enrollment
In a related incident, Simon Fraser University (SFU) has announced staff layoffs citing falling international student enrollment as a contributing cause. An SFU statement to CBC News claims that the layoffs are a result of more general cost-cutting initiatives mandated by falling income from foreign students and other financial constraints.
The university is committed to supporting affected employees
While giving teaching, learning, and research top priority, the University is dedicated to helping impacted staff members guarantee a stable financial future.
An SFU ELC program instructor, Scott Yanow voiced dismay at the layoffs. " [SFU] stated it was a matter of the program not keeping up with current trends...which is the exact opposite of what we heard from the interpreting community," Shiksha said.