How to Get PR After Studying in Canada | Apply for Canada PR

Canada is the third top country in the world for attracting international students after the USA and Australia. At any given time, there are more than 500,000 international students who are enrolled in Canada. Once students immigrate to Canada, most of them prefer to stay back in Canada and make a life there. After the completion of their studies, lots of students try to get a PR(Permanent Residency) in Canada. Once they Get PR After Studying in Canada, they tend to live and work in Canada and later become citizens after a few years.

If you’re a student studying in Canada or just finished studying and are looking for ways How to Get PR After Studying in Canada, then this article is for you. In this article, we will give you a detailed overview of all the eligibility requirements. We will also discuss the different ways by which you can get a PR After Studying in Canada. In some cases, you might also be able to apply for Canada PR after only one year of study in Canada. Read on to find the best way for you to pursue permanent residency after the successful completion of your studies in Canada.

Some Ways to Get PR After Studying in Canada

1) Postgraduate Work Permit

Getting a postgraduate work permit is not a direct pathway to apply for Canada PR, However, it is very helpful to significantly increase your CRS(Comprehensive Ranking System) score towards your Express Entry profile. This in turn will improve your chances greatly of getting an invitation to apply.

The current immigration policy states that If you complete a qualification of at least 8 months of study or more, you become eligible for a post-study work permit. The duration of the work permit that you receive will be 2-3 years. If your academic course length is from anywhere between 8 months-2 years, your work permit will have a validity of 2 years. If your course is longer than 2 years, then your work permit will have a validity of 2 years.

The Canadian government has made significant changes for international study in Canada due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to the global travel restrictions, Canada has decided to count the study courses taken online towards the post-graduation work permit as well. This means that you can get your work permit regardless of if you were in Canada during the time of study. The post-graduation work permit is an open work permit. This means that you’ll be able to work in any part of Canada. There will also be no restrictions on the employers that you can work for.

2) Express Entry

One of the quickest ways to get a PR in Canada is to get through the Express Entry program. The Express Entry program is a program that the Canadian government uses to manage Canadian Permanent Residence applications. There are a number of certain economic immigration programs through which the government fills the labor gaps. For international students, the federal government has made it easy by introducing points for students under the Express Entry program. 30 CRS points were added for three-year post-secondary, master’s, professional degrees, and doctorates. And 15 points were added for post-secondary diplomas lasting one or two years.

If you have a post-graduate work permit, this will also add points to your CRS score. Having Canadian work experience greatly strengthens your Express Entry profile. There are a number of programs under the Express Entry program that you can then apply for. You must be eligible for one of the programs on the list to get into the pool. Then you must have a high CRS score to receive an invitation. The Comprehensive Ranking System(CRS) is the point-based system the Canadian Immigration uses to assess and score your profile and rank you in the Express Entry pool. There is a core group of 600 points with additional points up to 600. Read more about the full CRS score criteria.

3) Federal Skilled Worker Program

The federal skilled worker program is for skilled workers with foreign work experience. This program will help foreigners immigrate to Canada permanently. There are a few minimum requirements that you need to meet in order to be eligible. They are skilled work experience, language ability, and education. Once you meet all these minimum requirements, the factors for assessment of your application are:

• age
• education
• work experience
• valid job offers
• language skills(English and/or French)
• how well you adapt

These factors are a part of a 100-point grid system used to assess eligibility for this program. The current minimum points required to pass is 67.

Your skilled work experience must be the same type of job that you want to use for your immigration application. It must be at least 1 year of continuous paid work. For the language skills, you must have at least a minimum CLB(Canadian Language Benchmark) for English and/or French language tests. You must also have a degree from a secondary or post-secondary institution to meet the minimum requirements for education. In addition to this, you must also have proof of funds to show that you have enough money for you and your family to settle in Canada. You must also plan to live outside the province of Quebec as they have their own skilled workers program.

4) Federal Skilled Trades Program

The federal skilled trades program is for skilled workers who are qualified in a skilled trade. Skilled workers from outside Canada can apply to this program to get a PR in Canada. There are a set of minimum requirements that you need to meet to be eligible to apply for a Federal Skilled Trades Program in Canada. To be eligible, you must:

• meet the required minimum language requirements. You must take language proficiency tests for English and/or French. The tests results must meet the minimum CLB(Canadian Language Benchmark) in each ability like reading, writing, listening and speaking.
• have the required minimum of at least 2 years of work experience in a skilled trade. This experience must be within 5 years of applying for the program. The work experience may be part-time as well, but it needs to be an equal amount of work as a full-time work for the required duration.
• There is no education requirement for the Federal Skilled Trades program. But if you want to improve your rank in the Express Entry pool, you can get a diploma or a degree from a Canadian post-secondary institution. If you are from outside Canada, you can get an ECA(Educational Credential Assessment) report for immigration purposes.
• have proof of funds to show you have enough money for you and your family to live in Canada.

You must plan to live outside Quebec in Canada as Quebec has its own skilled workers program.

5) Canadian Experience Class

As the name itself suggests, the Canadian Experience Class program is for workers who already have Canadian work experience. This program is for those workers who want Permanent Residency. The minimum requirements that you need to meet for the Canadian Experience Class are:

• Meet the required language levels for each language ability for reading, writing, speaking and listening. You should take a language proficiency tests for the English and/or French language.
• Must have at least 1 year of skilled work experience in Canada. This experience should be no longer than within the last 3 years at the time of application. The work experience involved can be full-time job at one job for about 1,560 hours. You can also work full-time job at more than one job. You can also fulfill this criteria by working several part time jobs or a single part time jobs. However, the number of hours worked must be equal to that of 1,560 hours.
• There is no education requirement for the Canadian work experience. But, if you want to improve your CRS score for the Express Entry pool, you can get your degree. It is preferable to have at least a secondary or a post-secondary education from an institution. If you got your education outside Canada, you can get a ECA report from a designated institution.

You might not be eligible for a Canadian Experience Class if you are a refugee claimant in Canada. The work experience that you gain before applying for a Canadian Experience Class must be gained while working under a temporary resident status.

6) Provincial Nominee Program

The Provincial Nominee Program has a number of provinces under it. The eligibility criteria and the requirements for the application process depend on the province you’re applying for. So, you need to meet the minimum requirements of one of the province’s non-Express Entry streams. You must also be nominated under that stream. For a province or a territory to nominate you, you must follow the specific instructions on their website and contact them directly. The provinces under the Provincial Nominee Program are:

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Northwest Territories
• Nova Scotia
• Ontario
• Prince Edward Island
• Saskatchewan
• Yukon

Once you apply for the Provincial Nominee Program, the province that you apply for will assess your application. They will review your application based on their immigration needs and whether you really plan to live there. Then, once you get nominated, you must apply for permanent residence. You have to pay the necessary fees included in the application. You might need to also give your biometrics and other third-party fees. They will then assess your application in accordance with the Canadian Immigration Law. If your application is approved, then you Get PR After Studying in Canada.

7) AIP program

The AIP(American Immigration Pilot) program is especially beneficial for international students as it has a dedicated stream for them. The AIP includes the Atlantic International Graduate Program for students. This program will allow graduates with a job offer to immigrate to Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick, and Prince Edwards Island.

The requirements needed to apply for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot program includes:

• The most important requirement for the AIP program is a valid job offer for at least one year.
• The applicants must also meet the required language skill levels. This will include at least a minimum of CLB(Canadian Language Benchmark) band for each language ability like reading, writing, speaking and listening.
• As this program is only for students who have graduated, you must have a minimum two-year degree, diploma or an apprenticeship certificate from a recognized learning institution in an Atlantic province. You must also be a Canadian student for at least two years.
• The applicants must also have been graduated at least 12 months prior to the application date.
• While living in Canada, you must have had a visa or a work permit to study and train in Canada. You must also have lived in one of the Atlantic provinces for at least 16 months in the last two years before graduation.
• You must also complete a Settlement Plan and be provincially endorsed as part of the AIP program.

Benefits to Get a PR After Studying in Canada

Studying in Canada gives international students a lot of opportunities. Getting a PR is certainly one of them. And once you are a permanent residence, you get a lot of benefits. You will be able to bring your family members to Canada as well. Not only this, you will receive social benefits as well. Permanent residents in Canada get medical benefits such as health coverage, and freedom of living, studying, or working across Canada. Then, later on, you will be able to get Canadian citizenship as well. Once you are a citizen in Canada, you will be protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Read More about the Easy ways to Immigrate to Canada