“This was the best news I heard during COVID-19!”, Simran Sandhu.
The federal government is creating a new pathway to permanent residency for 90,000 essential workers and international graduates currently in Canada.
Almost half, 40,000, will be for international graduates in Canada.
A recent graduate from Vancouver, BC, Simran Sandhu, says she and her friends are all ready to get their hands on PR. Most of the international students come to Canada with the plan to build their future in this country.
“I think the portal is going to close max the next day; students are waiting for this moment for a long time,” Sandhu.
Marco E. L. Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced on April 14, 2021, that this new policy would grant permanent status to temporary workers and graduates who possess the skills and experience the country needs to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and achieve economic recovery.
In a news release the minister said, “The pandemic has shone a bright light on the incredible contributions of newcomers. These new policies will help those with a temporary status plan their future in Canada, play a key role in our economic recovery and help us build back better. Our message to them is simple: your status may be temporary, but your contributions are lasting—and we want you to stay.”
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will start accepting applications from May 6. The streams will remain open until November 5, 2021, or until they have received 40,000 applications.
Want to know if you are eligible or not?
The basic eligibility criteria: (Immigration, 2021)
1. The applicant must have completed his/her studies at a designated learning institution in Canada. The graduation should be no earlier than January 2017 and before the date on which the application for permanent residence is received.
2. Be employed in Canada with a valid permit or authorization to work under the Act and Regulations when the application for permanent residence is received and must not be self-employed.
3. Have attained a level of proficiency of at least benchmark 5 in either official language for each of the four language skill areas, as set out in the Canadian Language Benchmarks. The evaluation must be less than two years old when the permanent residence application is received.
4. Reside in Canada with valid temporary resident status (or be eligible to restore their position) and be physically present in Canada when the application for permanent residence is received and when the application is approved.
5. Intend to reside in a province or territory other than Quebec.
Sandhu says that all her friends are applying to re-take the English language test as it is only valid for two years.
“The website is overloaded with students, most of the test dates are getting filled quickly; I even asked my brother in Australia if he can book a date for the test, but no success”.
International graduates are pumped with joy and stress at the same time to hand in their applications in time.
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