PGWP holders may be eligible for a work permit extension, according to Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.
On March 30, Canada invited 919 Express Entry applicants to apply for permanent residency.
In the current invitation round, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) solely invited individuals from the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Candidates needed a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) of at least 785 to be invited. Because PNP candidates got an automatic 600 point boost when they obtain their nomination, the minimum score was relatively high. The lowest-scoring candidates would have received 185 base points if they had not been nominated.
Candidates who have been invited to apply for permanent residency in Canada now have 60 days to do so.
IRCC invited a total of 924 PNP individuals to apply for Canadian immigration in the previous round of invitations.
Minister indicated to a possible expansion of the PGWP or a similar provision.
On March 24, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser appeared before the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration to answer questions about the current state of the immigration system.
Fraser, when asked when the draws for Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates would resume, said there was no set date. Since September 2021, Express Entry drawings for CEC applicants have been halted. As a result, potential CEC candidates in Canada have been unable to apply, and some are on the verge of losing their work permits. Without an Express Entry draw, these temporary workers, oftentimes holding a non-extendable Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), will not be able to get a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) and extend their stay. Instead, they may have to apply for a work permit supported by the Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), quit their jobs, or even leave Canada.
IRCC has made no official announcements to date to prevent otherwise qualified CEC or Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) candidates’ status from expiring. Fraser, on the other hand, indicated that PGWPs may be expanded or replaced with a comparable approach.
“It is my intention to do what I can to allow people to stay by extending post-graduate work permits or some proxy that will have the same result that may be as effective,” Fraser said at the committee meeting.
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