Changes to
Processing of Applications for Canadian Permanent Residence for International
Students on the Horizon
It is expected that the government of Canada will soon announce
changes to the processing of Canadian permanent residence applications from
international graduates of Canadian study programs.
A recent report from the Advisory Council on Economic Growth
— which recommended that Canada boost its immigration levels to 450,000 in
order to optimize economic growth in Canada — advised that Canada welcome more
international graduates as permanent residents. The Council proposed two ways
to ease the pathway to permanent residence for international students in
Canada: increasing the number of points allocated under the Express Entry
system, and simplifying the Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process for
employers who want to hire international graduates who studied at Canadian
institutions.
The recommendations of the Advisory Council echo the
government of Canada’s own goals regarding encouraging international students
to remain in Canada after graduation. Representatives from Immigration,
Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have frequently voiced their support for
international students who wish to immigrate to Canada permanently.
John McCallum, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, was quoted
earlier in 2016 as saying, “We're going to make it easier for international
students, and we’re going to reduce some of the barriers in our immigration
system.”
Express Entry
The Express Entry selection system, introduced in January,
2015 was designed to respond to Canada’s labor market needs by selecting
candidates for permanent residence to Canada who would be more likely to integrate
successfully and contribute to the Canadian economy. Candidates in the Express
Entry pool are assigned Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points based on
civil status information, work and education history, language proficiency, and
other factors. IRCC issues Invitations to Apply (ITA) to the highest-ranking
candidates when it performs draws from the pool of candidates. Individuals who
receive an ITA may submit an application for permanent residence to the
government of Canada.
Many international students in Canada, however, find it
difficult to be competitive in the Express Entry pool. Without a provincial
nomination from a Canadian province or a validated job offer, many
international students find that their CRS score is not high enough for them to
receive an ITA. The report from the Advisory Council found that ‘the median
score for international students in 2015 was below the lowest invitation
cutoff score to date.’
In this regard, McCallum agrees with the Advisory Council’s
report. "International students have been short changed by the express
entry system," he said, earlier this year. "They are the cream of the
crop, in terms of potential future Canadians."
Changes on
the horizon
McCallum had voiced a desire to simplify the LMIA process for
employers who wish to hire international graduates before the Advisory Council
issued its recommendation.
“We don't think that every immigrant needs to go through what
we call a labour market impact assessment process,” McCallum has said. “We
think it can be simplified. We think there are some rules which are no longer
necessary.”
Currently, under the Express Entry system, a candidate in the
Express Entry pool may gain 600 CRS points for a validated job offer, if their
employer has obtained an LMIA to prove that no Canadian or permanent resident
could do that job.
Another proposed change that would likely benefit
international students and graduates is a reform of the allocation of CRS
points to individuals who have studied in Canada. The Advisory Council recommended
that ‘by placing more emphasis on human capital characteristics (such as age,
education, language, or Canadian work experience), a greater number of highly
skilled international students in Canada would qualify for permanent residence
through Express Entry .’
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