Recent Changes Affecting International Students

This summer has been heating up with new rules for international students.  In one of our previous posts we had told you about the new rules regarding study permits and off-campus work permits that came into place on June 1, 2014.  Recently, the government cancelled the post-graduate LMO recruiting exemption for international students who are looking to extend their work permits after their post-graduate work permits expire. 

These and upcoming changes to the permanent residence system such as Express Entry (expected to be in place in January 1, 2015), mean that international students and recent graduates may need to revisit their immigration plans.  Consider the following:

• Students must continue to study in the program in order to maintain their status.  Those who drop out will invalidate their study permit.  

• Students with study permits will no longer need to apply for off-campus work permits in order to work off-campus during their studies.  However, when they graduate they must apply for the post-grad work permit before they can work. 

• Graduates with post-graduate work permits that are about to expire will no longer be able to apply to extend their work permits without having their employers go through the normal recruiting process.   

• Next year, under the new Express Entry program, everyone who apply for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class, Skilled Worker, or Provincial Nominee Programs will be cast first into a pool of applicants.  Only a limited number of applicants will be selected to go further.  If you are not selected within a year, your application will be returned.