Question Period Note: INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

International students have been impacted by processing delays due to a major increase in the volume of applications. The Department has put several measures in place to assist international students and those who have graduated from their studies in this post-pandemic recovery time.

• International students make immense economic, cultural and social contributions to Canada. We have reached an all-time highest number of international students in Canada.

• We finalized about 560,000 study permit applications in 2021, beating the previous record from 2019 by 31%. In 2022 we’ve already surpassed this number, with approximately 593,000 study permit applications finalized between January 1, 2022 and October 31, 2022, compared to about 455,000 finalized in the same period in 2021.

• In light of the significant labour market shortages, and calls to provide students with more flexible work opportunities, on November 15, we temporarily lifted the 20-hour limit on the number of hours international students can work off-campus while class is in session.

• With more than 500,000 international students in Canada who could choose to work additional hours, this temporary change reflects the important role international students can play in addressing our labour shortages, while continuing to pursue their studies.

If pressed
• IRCC also recently announced that foreign nationals whose post-graduation work permit expired or will expire from September 20, 2021, to December 31, 2022, will have the opportunity to work in Canada for an additional 18 months.
• As of October 5, about 6,000 people have applied for this work permit extension and a further 4,000 are benefitting from a facilitative process that will extend their work permit without the need to submit an application.

If pressed on changes to off-campus work authorizations:
• Study permit holders are still expected to balance their study and work commitments, as those who stop studying or reduce course loads to only study part-time are not eligible to work off-campus.

If pressed on Government Response to CIMM Report on Differential Treatment of Foreign Students
• On September 28, IRCC tabled its Response to the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM) Report on Differential Treatment of Foreign Students. The Report made 35 recommendations , including on processing times and refusal rates for certain populations, particularly those applying from Francophone Africa to study in Quebec.
• IRCC agrees partially or in full with all of the CIMM’s recommendations.

If pressed on processing times and measures to facilitate distance learning
• The Department is facing an unprecedented level of demand while it also continues to work through the inventory that grew during the pandemic.
• Recognizing that not every applicant would have their application processed to begin their studies in Canada on time in September, IRCC extended measures that allow students to count the time they spend studying online from abroad towards the length of a future post-graduation work permit.
• International students starting a program this fall will be able to complete up to 50% of their program from abroad and remain eligible for a post-graduation work permit.
• Individuals applying for a new 18-month work permit will also have the ability to work in Canada in the interim period while the wait for their application to be processed.

Update on processing

• Due competing priorities such as the Ukraine situation and other processing pressures, IRCC has seen an unprecedented volume of applications received for both initial study permits and extensions in 2022, on a global scale. Despite considerable efforts, applicants have experienced significant wait times with the processing of their applications.

• The Department is seeing an ever-increasing demand for studying in Canada, resulting in growing processing pressures:

o In 2021, the Department received nearly 557,000 applications for new study permits. This compares to approximately 316,000 new study permit applications in 2020, representing a 76% increase.

o From January to August 2022, the Department received approximately 477,000 applications for new study permits (excluding extensions). This compares to approximately 361,000 for the same time period in 2021, about 32% increase.

o Of the study permits applications that were fully assessed from January through October 2022, approximately 290,385 were confirmed (the permit holder arrived in Canada) and approximately 72,400 study permits were authorized between January 1, 2021 and October 1, 2022 but have yet to be confirmed (the permit holder has not yet arrived in Canada)

• IRCC launched a pilot in October 2022 to automate the processing of study permit extensions. Should the pilot be successful, it will be expanded in order to help reduce processing times and allow officers to focus on more complex applications.

Temporary Lift of Restrictions on Off-Campus Work Hours

• Under the Regulations, full-time international students who are registered in an academic, vocational or professional training program are permitted to work an unlimited number of hours on-campus and a maximum of 20 hours per week off-campus.

• From November 15, 2022 until December 31, 2023, international students who are in Canada and who have off-campus work authorization are permitted to work an unlimited number of hours.

Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) and Distance Learning

• Prior to the pandemic, in order to be eligible for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP), a student must have completed at least 50% of a program of study at a Canadian designated learning institution (DLI) from within Canada and in class. Time spent studying from outside Canada would not normally be counted toward the length of a PGWP.

• During the pandemic, several measures were put in place to facilitate distance learning without impacting PGWP eligibility. Until August 31, 2023, time spent studying outside Canada will count toward the length of a PGWP as long as at least 50% of their program of study was completed from within Canada.

• Studies completed online from outside Canada will not be deducted from the length of a future PGWP as long as they comprise less than 50% of the program.

New measures for those with expired or expiring Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP)

• All foreign nationals whose post-graduation work permit expired or will expire from September 20, 2021 through December 31, 2022, will have the opportunity to get an additional 18 months to work in Canada, either through a facilitative measure to change the length of their current work permit or to apply for a new one.

• These measures will benefit those who have fallen out-of-status, enabling the, to restore their status, even if it expired more than 90 days ago. These measures will also benefit those who have left Canada.

• Starting August 8, 2022, individuals with post-graduation work permits that have expired or will expire from September 20, 2021, to December 31, 2022, will be receiving an email indicating that they are allowed to work in the interim.

• This one-time measure is intended to ensure that those eligible for the additional 18-month work period can remain working or can return to the workforce while they apply for a new work permit. This interim work period will be in effect until May 31, 2023.

Travel Measures and International Students
• Effective October 1, 2022 there are no longer any COVID-19 restrictions to enter Canada.

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