Canada’s immigration company has introduced an overhaul of the listing post-graduation work allow (PGWP)-eligible packages, including almost 120 fields of research and eradicating 180.
Whereas welcoming the addition of some training, healthcare and social providers, STEM and commerce fields, CBIE president Larissa Bezo advised The PIE Information that the method “was nonetheless incongruent with the very actual labour market wants that some areas are dealing with”.
After preliminary evaluation, it seems that fields in agriculture and agri-food, transport, some STEM areas, choose trades and ambulatory/various well being care providers might be hardest hit.
The replace, efficient as of June 25, goals to align Canada’s post-secondary training system with labour market shortages, reflecting the 2025 Categorical Entry priorities.
Nonetheless, sector leaders have expressed shock and concern about sure fields eliminated or not included the listing, as establishments and college students become familiar with yet one more federal coverage change.
“The elimination of some construction-related fields is perplexing given Canada’s present concentrate on expediting the constructing of latest houses,” Bezo advised The PIE Information.
Bezo known as the elimination of agri-food fields “stunning” given the significance of meals safety and the native realities of Canada’s agriculture sector, and stated the omission of knowledge scientists was “counterintuitive” contemplating their important contributions to innovation and progress.
Because of the adjustments, there at the moment are 920 fields of research eligible for a PGWP.
They construct on the federal government’s rewriting of PGWP eligibility guidelines in October final yr, when it introduced an preliminary listing of 966 eligible college packages, alongside new language necessities.
Crucially, the foundations apply to worldwide college students in non-degree packages – apart from bachelor’s, grasp’s or doctoral levels – who utilized for a research allow on or after November 1, 2024.
College students who utilized for his or her research allow earlier than June 25, 2025, will stay eligible for a PGWP if their program was on the authorized listing on the time of utility – even when it has been eliminated within the newest replace.
The elimination of some construction-related fields is perplexing
Larissa Bezo, Cbie
In October 2024, the federal government initially stated that every one school college students must meet the PGWP eligibility standards, although this was overturned in a serious win for the Canadian school sector in March this yr.
The IRCC’s newest replace will come as a disappointment to sector leaders who hoped the election of Prime Minister Mark Carney in April 2025 would usher in a interval of better stability after unprecedented coverage turbulence since January 2024.
Bezo warned that the adjustments “will create additional challenges for establishments which have been recalibrating their program choices to align with the PGWP-eligible fields”.
What’s extra, one other set of coverage adjustments will threat “inflicting additional uncertainty and confusion” amongst potential worldwide college students, stated Bezo, calling for coverage stability to permit the sector to “recuperate and rebuild”.
The status of Canada as a research vacation spot has taken a battering over the previous yr and a half, with new information from ApplyBoard projecting research permits to fall by greater than 50% this yr.
