A new pilot project in B.C. will give the province’s international students new opportunities to gain Canadian work experience after graduation.
“In the next decade, B.C. will have more than a million job openings, and immigration is going to be a key factor in our ability to fill them,” B.C.’s parliamentary secretary for multiculturalism Ida Chong said this morning in a news release announcing the pilot project.
The project expands the post-graduation work permit program to graduates of post-secondary institutions with career-granting programs that have received the B.C. education quality assurance designation.
The permit is already available to graduates of public universities, colleges, and private degree-granting programs.
Under the post-graduation work permit program, graduates can apply for open work permits for up to three years, depending on the length of time they studied.
Since 2005, the number of foreign students coming to Canada has increased by 25%, with 85,140 entries in 2009.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to attract international students to Canada and retaining them after they graduate,” Chong said. “With this pilot project, we are continuing to build Canada’s standing as a destination of choice for international students.