Online learning will no longer count toward work authorization requirements
The change applies to immigrants who receive authorization after studying in Canada.
Immigration Minister Mark Miller made introduced some changes to the International Student Program on Dec. 7. And while the main focus of his speech was on updating financial requirements, Miller also updated the deadlines for some of the temporary rules for students in Canada. Specifically, there is a new deadline for students applying for Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP).
How does it work now?
To obtain this work visa, international students are required to study in Canada in a program that lasts at least 8 months.
However, during the Covid-19 pandemic, many institutions switched to a fully or partially remote format. In addition, some incoming students experienced difficulties arriving in Canada due to travel restrictions that were in place in 2020 and 2021.
Therefore, IRCC decided to allow online study time to count towards the time required to obtain a PGWP. These measures were enacted in 2020, and starting in September 2022 they began to be phased out. Thus, online study began to be counted as long as it was no more than 50% of the total duration of study.
What's going to change?
Mark Miller has set an end date for this relief. This temporary measure to allow credit for online learning will still be in effect for students who begin their studies before September 1, 2024.
Students starting on September 1 or later will no longer be affected by this simplification and will need to take their course full-time and in-person.
The minister also said that the vast majority of international students are currently studying full-time in Canada.
