The Advantages Of A Student Visa

For example, if you have a student visa, you may work on campus without a work permit. If there is a university center with a cafeteria, a student can work in the cafeteria without applying for a work permit first. If a student is a research assistant for a professor, they can do so without obtaining a work permit. This is not always a good thing, because a lot of people want to use their Canadian work experience to be advantageously towards their permanent resident application. If they work with a work permit, they may obtain a higher score on the six-factor charts, which makes their application more attractive and processing quicker. I actually encourage them to get a work permit so that they can take advantages of all their work experience in their permanent resident application.

If a student wants to get a summer job or part-time job off-campus, they would not be able to work at first, but after completing six months of study, that person can apply for an off-campus work permit. That would allow the student to work up to 20 hours per week and full-time during summer off-campus. The student visa makes this possible.

A very recent change to the legislation allows a foreign student who has graduated from a qualified educational institution outside of the Greater Toronto Area to get a two-year post graduate work permit for employment outside of the GTA. The student must have a job offer in advance in order to get this work permit. The advantage to this program is that the employer does not have to get a labour market opinion first, which is a huge advantage to both the employer and the student.

But, this new policy eliminates many of these restrictions. Basically, you do not have to go to a specific university nor you have to get a job in a specific city as long as you are in Canada, and you have completed a university degree or have met the degree or certificate credentials from the qualifying educational institution. Then, you may apply for a work permit for three years.

This is an open permit aimed at international students to consider making Canada their new home. The purpose is to facilitate not only obtaining a job for a foreign student but also to facilitate their change of status from temporary resident, as a student visa holder, to permanent resident. So if you apply for a skilled worker application from India, which takes 6 years right now, you could come here on a student visa for a year to complete an MBA, for example, and be employed here more quickly than waiting 6 years in India. That’s how this policy has dramatically changed what the international student can do.

Also, there are always financial issues for foreign students. They pay three times more than permanent residents or Canadian citizens for their tuition. If you are able to work part-time as well as full-time in summer, much of your tuition may be covered by your own work. This is a big advantage, because until last year, foreign students had to be supported by their families back home essentially. Now a lot of students are able to work here. If a student is married, then the spouse can get an open work permit for the same length as student’s study permit. So one spouse is working and one spouse is studying, and they may be able to make a living that way.

A student visa is one of the really viable options for people to come more quickly through the system, achieve some of the Canadian credentials they need for permanent resident status, and become integrated at the same time. However, before deciding to come to Canada as an international student, the student must investigate the course of study chosen and the educational institution chosen are both qualified under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to be able to pursue the full process discussed herein. It is highly recommended to discuss such options with a legal professional before making any significant commitment.

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If you, or someone you care about, is dealing with immigration law issues in the Kitchener, Ontario Region, contact Jennifer Roggemann Law Office for a consultation.