Canada announces stricter norms for foreign students to be eligible for PG work programme permit

In addition, those who graduate from a university or college programme that is not for a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctoral degree, the applicant is restricted to a field of study that is “linked to certain occupations in long-term shortage”

Toronto: The Canadian government has announced stricter norms for international students to secure post-graduate work permit (PGWP) eligibility, particularly for those completing courses at colleges and of a short duration.

Students at the University of Toronto campus, Toronto, Canada. New Immigration laws drastically reduce foreign students in Canada. (Bloomberg)

For those seeking a PGWP on or after November 1 this year, there is the requirement for greater fluency in one of Canada’s official languages – English or French. In a post on its website, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said the applicant “must demonstrate” their skill in the abilities of reading, writing, listening or speaking in either of these tongues. Test results to substantiate language skills must be less than two years old.

In addition, those who graduate from a university or college programme that is not for a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctoral degree, the applicant is restricted to a field of study that is “linked to certain occupations in long-term shortage”. The broad categories for those have been listed as agriculture and agri-food, healthcare, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), trade and transport.

Facing backlash over the huge influx of temporary residents including international students, the Canadian government had announced in September that it will further slash intake of international students in 2025, reducing the figure by 10% from this year.

In a release, IRCC stated that the cap for issuing study permits will be at 437,000, down from the target of 485,000 for this year. The “stabilising” 2025 figure will also apply for 2026.

Canadian officials have warned that the results of the decisions taken will become evident later this year. That may be reflecting in the data, as the figures for study permits issued between April and June this year dropped to 125,020 from 148,140 in 2023. For India, the decrease was from 70,340 to 55,940. But that number is still nearly double to the total intake for 2015.

Meanwhile, international students backed by the activist organisation Naujawan Support Group is continuing its indefinite protest over the PGWP issue in the town of Brampton in the Greater Toronto Area. The protest, which began in mid-September, will continue till demands are met for easing PGWP requirements, including extending work permits, providing the work permits to all international students and a fair pathway to permanent resident status.

The protestors have claimed that nearly 130,000 ex-international students will see their work permits expire at the end of this year and 2025 and will face potential deportation since pathways to permanent residence have become restricted. Organisers have said desperate students are filing for refugee claims or trying to illegally enter the United States or even entering into sham marriages, to maintain their status in Canada.