Image via WikipediaOperational Bulletin 262 – January 31, 2011
Launch of a Pilot Program to Expand the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program for International Students Graduating from Designated Private Post-Secondary Institutions in British Columbia
Summary
Effective January 31, 2011, the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP) has been expanded to include international students who have completed career training programs of eight months or longer at select private educational institutions in British Columbia.
Issue
Under a two-year Pilot Program with British Columbia, the PGWPP has been expanded to include international students graduating from select British Columbia Education Quality Assurance (EQA)-designated private post-secondary institutions in programs of eight months or longer.
IMPORTANT: All work permits (WP) issued under this Pilot Program must be coded as indicated below (see Special Program Code under System Instructions) to support an effective evaluation of the Pilot.
New Pilot Parameters
This Pilot will be in effect between January 31, 2011, and January 31, 2013, inclusively and may be extended with a mutual agreement between the parties. These dates refer only to the period in which qualifying WPs can be issued and not to the duration of the WPs. The terms of the Pilot will apply only to qualifying foreign nationals who have graduated from eligible programs of study at select EQA-designated, private post-secondary institutions in the province of British Columbia (see list under Eligible Institutions).
Pilot Procedures
All of the general eligibility criteria, conditions of the WP and processing procedures for the PGWPP will continue to apply in conjunction with the following guidelines for the Pilot Program:
A) Eligible Participants
Applicants wishing to participate in this Pilot Program must meet the following additional criteria to qualify for a WP:
· Must have graduated from one of the EQA-designated private post-secondary institutions in the Province of British Columbia designated by the Province of British Columbia as eligible institutions for the purposes of this Pilot which are listed below “Eligible Institutions” during the validity period of the Pilot Program; and
· Must have completed a program of study that is at least eight months in length and received a degree, diploma or certificate upon completion. Furthermore, only career training programs will qualify for this pilot. General interest courses, or programs of study that consist primarily of English or French as Second Language instruction will not qualify.
B) Eligible Institutions
The following EQA-designated institutions have been named by the Province of British Columbia as eligible institutions under this Pilot Program:
· Degree-Granting Institutions: Alexander College; Columbia College; Fairleigh Dickinson University Vancouver; Quest University Canada; Sprott-Shaw Degree College; Trinity Western University; University Canada West; and
· Non-Degree Granting Institution: Arbutus College of Communication Arts, Business and Technology; Ashton College; Centre for Arts and Technology; Eton College; John Casablancas Institute of Applied Arts; Mountain Transport Institute Ltd.; MTI Community College; Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts; Sprott-Shaw Community College; Stenberg College; Vancouver Film School.
C) Post-Graduation Work Permit Issuance
· Consult section 5.24 of Overseas Processing (OP) 12 Manual – Students.
· Use labour market opinion (LMO) exemption code C-43 in conjunction with paragraph 205(c)(ii) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations in support of the “competitiveness of Canada’s academic institutions or economy.”
· Verify the eligibility of applicants pursuant to existing procedures to ensure that they meet the requirements of the pilot and the broader PGWPP.
· Issue an open or open/restricted (depending on medical examination requirements, if applicable) WP to eligible applicants.
D) System Instructions
Special Program Code: Officers are required to use the NEW Special Program Code “ISP” (the long description is International Student Pilot Program for B.C.) in FOSS, GCMS, CAIPS, or, for inland processing, in the drop-down menu in the CPC system under “Special Programs”, for applicants meeting the requirements of the Pilot. The use of this special program code is mandatory and it will be important for statistical research, evaluation and policy development purposes.
E) Validity and Duration
A WP issued under this Pilot, like any other issued under the PGWPP, may be valid up to a maximum of three years depending on the duration of the program of study. If the program of study is two years or more, the student may be eligible for a three-year WP. Should the program of study be less than two years but at least eight months, the student may be eligible for a WP lasting for a period equal to the duration of the studies. For example, if the student graduated from an eight-month certificate program, he or she may only be eligible for a WP of an eight-month duration.
F) Program Integrity Monitoring
To remain eligible to participate in this Pilot, an institution must continue to maintain its EQA designation and comply with the guidelines of the Pilot and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and its Regulations. In circumstances where an institution loses its EQA designation, the Province of British Columbia will notify Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and the graduates of the institution in question will no longer be eligible for the Post Graduation WP as of the day the institution loses its EQA status. However, in the interest of administrative fairness, all applications received by CIC before the date of the EQA revocation, will be processed accordingly.
Note: An institution may be removed from participating in this Pilot if that institution is found to be non-compliant with the Pilot’s guidelines and/or IRPA and its Regulations.
G) Program Evaluation
Ongoing monitoring and evaluation will be performed in partnership with the Province of British Columbia to determine the success of the Pilot Program.
H) Further Information
For additional information relating to the PGWPP, please refer to the CIC website atwww.cic.gc.ca/english/study/work-postgrad.asp.
Since February 2009, the Ontario Pilot Provincial Nominee Program (Pilot PNP) has been known as Opportunities Ontario: Provincial Nominee Program.
As with other Canadian PNPs, Opportunities Ontario is employer driven. You may only apply if your employer is pre-screened, the position is approved and your employer provides you with a nominee application package from Opportunities Ontario.
You will need to submit your application to the province first and then apply for a permanent resident visa through Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) as a Provincial Nominee, once Ontario approves your application.
Applicants to the Opportunities Ontario program can apply under one of five categories:
Applicants to the Opportunities Ontario program can apply under one of five categories:
- Foreign Workers (General Category)
- Investors
- Students with a Job Offer
- PhD Graduates
- Masters Graduates
Foreign Workers (General Category)
Skilled workers may be able to apply to Opportunities Ontario under the general category if:
- Their prospective employer has first applied for a pre-screening of a position
- The position has been approved
- Their prospective employer has sent an approval letter, a signed Joint Verification form and a Pre-screen Position form
- However, the three points above are not a guarantee of approval. To be eligible, you also need to:
- Have at least two years of work experience within the previous five years in the intended occupation, or have appropriate registration in Ontario (NB: Unpaid, unathorised or volunteer experience will not be accepted)
- Have an approved, permanent full-time job offer in a skilled occupation (NOC 0, A or B)
- Have been offered a wage that meets the prevailing wage level for the intended occupation
- Have legal status if you are already residing in Canada
Please note that after the issue of your employer pre-screen approved position form, you have 60 days to submit your application to Opportunities Ontario.
For more information on how to apply under the Foreign Worker (General Category) stream, please review the Application Guide for Nominees.
Investors (General Category)
The Investors stream allows companies making an investment in Ontario to recruit or relocate key employees to ensure the long-term success of their investment.
Recruited or relocated employees under the Investors category must meet the same eligibility requirements as those under the Foreign Workers (General Category).
Review the brochure of information for investors for additional information on how to apply.
Students with a Job Offer (International Student Category)
Ontario employers can extend permanent, full-time job offers to international students who have completed their post-secondary education at a publicly-funded Canadian institution. These students can then be eligible to apply for an Ontario Provincial Nomination Certificate.
In order to apply under the International Student Category, you must:
- Have completed at least half of your studies in Canada, and have graduated or will soon be graduating from an eligible publicly funded Canadian college or university (NB: You must send proof of graduation with their application)
- Have completed a minimum of a two-year diploma or degree program, while studying on a full-time basis. One-year post-graduate degree programs and certificate programs, which require a previous degree or diploma (which may have been obtained abroad), are also eligible
- Have a job offer in a managerial, professional or skilled trades occupation (NOC 0, A or B). The job offer does not have to be related to the field of study.
- Have a job offer that is permanent and full-time and meets the entry level wage for the occupation, rather than the prevailing wage required for applicants in the General Category
- Apply within two years of the date on which you received your degree or diploma, or in the alternative, during the last semester of completing your degree or diploma
- Have legal status, if you are already residing in Canada
- Have received your employer’s approval letter, signed Joint Verification and Pre-screen Position form
International student applicants do not need to have any previous work experience. You may apply for an approved position from within Canada or from overseas.
PhD Graduates (International Student Category)
Candidates under this part of the International Student Category must have obtained their PhDs from an Ontario publicly-funded university and do not need a job offer to be eligible for the Opportunities Ontario Program.
To apply under the PhD Graduates stream, you will not require a job offer.However, you will need to:
- Have graduated from an existing PhD program at an eligible publicly funded university in Ontario, or
- Have successfully completed all degree requirements for the program (i.e completion of course work and successfully defended your thesis and are awaiting the granting of your degree) and have completed at least two years of your PhD studies at an eligible publicly funded university in Ontario
- Apply within two years of the date on which your PhD degree was granted
- Have legal status, if you already are residing in Canada
Masters Graduates (International Student Category)
As with applicants under the PhD Graduates Stream, Masters Graduates do not require a job offer from an Ontarian employer.
However, to apply for the Opportunities Ontario PNP as a Masters Graduate, you must:
- Intend to live and work in Ontario
- Have graduated from an existing Masters program at an eligible publicly funded university in Ontario
- Have completed a minimum of one academic year degree program, while studying on a full-time basis
- Apply within two years of the date on which your Masters degree was granted, or in the alternative, during the last semester of completing your degree
- Currently be residing in Ontario
- Have legal status in Canada (i.e. study permit, work permit, temporary resident visa)
- Demonstrate high official language proficiency (For English language proficiency – IELTS – General test with a minimum score of seven or higher) (For French language proficiency – TEF – with a minimum score of five or higher)
- Demonstrate a minimum level of savings/income to support yourself and your dependants
- Demonstrate at least one year of residence in Ontario in the past two years
If you plan to apply under the International Student Category, via the PhD Graduates stream or Masters Graduates stream, you should review the Application Guide for International Graduates (PhD and Masters.
Source: Muchmore Magazine