International students help address Canada’s labour shortage by allowing international students to work more than 20 hours a week.
Canada has developed a reputation as a country where immigrants are welcomed with open arms. However, the reality is that Canadian employers need help to fill positions because they want to avoid paying higher wages or offering better benefits. The solution? Allow international students to work more hours per week.
There are currently over 200,000 international students studying in Canada. Many come from China, India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. These students contribute significantly to the economy through spending power, but they often need more experience working in Canada.
Canada is experiencing a historic labour shortage as job marketing is booming post-pandemic, and the unemployment rate is falling to 4.9%, the lowest on record.
According to Statistics, 1 in 7 Canadian is close to retirement age, between 55 to 64 years. It is one of the highest numbers for people nearing retirement age. Coupled with the decades of falling birth rates, the vacancies need to fill.
By the end of 2021, the number of vacancies almost doubled from 64,000 to 1,26,000 (major vacancies accounted for a low wage).
As part of its immigration reform plan, the federal government recently announced changes to allow international students to work more time during their studies. International students
will be allowed to work more than 20 hours per week. This liberalization is from November 15, 2022, to December 2023, for international students who are in Canada and have off-campus
authorization on their study visas.
The foreign nationals who have already applied for the study permit will also be able to take advantage of this temporary change, subject to their application approval.
With over 500,000 students working in Canada, this policy liberalization expects to shorten the labour workforce gap in Canada. It also highlights the importance of international students working in Canada while pursuing their studies.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is also launching a pilot project to automate study permit extensions. This pilot is expected to speed up the process of analysis in Canada. It includes a group of applicants previously approved in Canada to study. The department will extend this pilot program to focus on complex applications if it proves successful.
Quick Facts about the Student Visa in Canada:
- There will be over 5,28,000 international students in Canada in 2020.
- Approximately 50% of the post-secondary students reported earning while their studies in Canada.
- Another study found that nearly 30% of International Students have achieved their Permanent Residency in Canada within 10 years. It also suggests that the past decade has witnessed over a 500% increase in student permit holders in Canada.
- The High immigration quota in Ontario makes it one of the easiest provinces to get PR in Canada. The province organizes frequent draws for qualifying candidates.
- In 2022 alone, over 4,52,000 study permit applications were processed, which were 3,67,000 applications in 2021 during the same period. It indicates an increase of 23%.
What is the Process for Applying for a Student Visa in Canada?
To apply for a Study Permit in Canada, you need to follow these steps:
- Getting a letter of acceptance from the University or the learning institution you are applying to.
- Obtain the application package, including an instructional guide and all the necessary forms
- Completing the application process with the required documentation and the application fees.
The process involves a lot of documentation and complications. It may also be rejected in case of non-compliance to specific guidelines or improper documentation filing.
To ensure a smooth process of Study Visa application to Canada with a high chance of getting through, Aarambh International is just one click away.
