The Canadian government has announced that foreign nationals in the country with a post-graduate work permit (PGWP) that has expired or is about to expire may apply for an open work permit extension or a new open work visa that is good for up to 18 months.
Open Work Permit
The initiative was confirmed by Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship. International grads can receive an open work permit through the PGWP programme in order to gain worthwhile Canadian job experience that they can then use in the future.
“We need to use every tool in our toolbox to support employers who continue to face challenges in hiring the workers they need to grow.” “At the same time, we’re providing international graduates whose work permits are expiring or have expired with some additional time to stay in Canada to gain valuable work experience and potentially qualify to become permanent residents,” Sean Fraser said.
Starting on April 6, 2023, foreigners whose PGWP has already expired in 2023 and those who were eligible for the 2022 PGWP facilitative measure will also have the opportunity to apply for an additional 18-month work permit, according to an official statement. This will benefit both PGWP holders and Canadian employers.
Furthermore, holders of expired work permits will be able to regain their status, even after the 90-day restoration window has passed, and will be given a temporary work permit while their new work permit application is being processed.
Labour Shortage
The change occurs as Canadian authorities realise that competent foreign graduates fill the gaps in the country’s labour shortage and that many of them are deeply ingrained in the local labour market.
The additional work permit will allow eligible applicants to maintain the status quo, gain valuable work experience, and even apply for permanent residence after some time.
It is to be mentioned that PGWP holders who are eligible for the facilitative process will receive messages to update personal information on their IRCC Secure Account.
The Canadian authorities vow to learn from the past and streamline the process this year so that PGWP holders can be facilitated in a better way.
