Below is a message from Brock international concerning the news around internation students, status that affects work and study. Their email is below should you have questions.
Greetings Badger,
As you may have heard, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held a press conference on Wednesday, September 18, 2024. In it, there was some news relevant to international students at Brock, which we have summarized for you.
Study permit cap
IRCC introduced a cap on new study permits in January 2024. The limit for 2025 and 2026 were announced. Master’s and doctoral students were excluded from the cap in 2024, but will be included starting in 2025. Currently those applying for study permit extensions are exempt from the cap. There was no mention of any change to this.
Note that study permit extensions can only be made from inside Canada and must be made before the study permit expires. If you need to extend your study permit, make sure you do so early, especially if you have travel plans. We recommend you apply 3-4 months before your study permit expires. Brock International offers monthly study permit extension webinars. See ExperienceBU to register.
Post-graduation work permit
IRCC announced that as of November 1, 2024, PGWP applicants will need to submit proof of language skills. For university students, the minimum language proficiency will be a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7. IRCC also plans to better align the PGWP with immigration goals and labour market needs. Specific details have not yet been announced, but check About the PGWP for updates to this program as they become available.
Brock International will continue to monitor for additional updates. We host webinars on applying for PGWP near the end of each term for students ready to apply. See ExperienceBU to register.
Off-campus work
While IRCC intends to increase the number of hours study permit holders can work off campus, no change is in effect yet.
Spousal open work permit
Later this year, IRCC plans to announce changes to eligibility which would limit this type of work permit. Check spouse of international student and family of foreign worker for updates to these programs as they become available.
For full details, see the September 18, 2024 news release and backgrounder:
- Strengthening temporary residence programs for sustainable volumes
- Actions taken to strengthen Canada’s temporary residence programs and migration pathways
If you have any questions related to this announcement or for any other immigration inquiries, please contact isa@brocku.ca.
Sincerely,
The Team at Brock International
