Canada’s immigration agency, IRCC, has updated the rules for international student permits starting September 2024. Under the new guidelines, students in programs covered by licensing agreements between public and private colleges won’t qualify for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). This means if a public college licenses its curriculum to a private college, and a student enrolls in the private college, they won’t be eligible for a PGWP.
The reason behind this change is the perceived lack of oversight in these programs, creating a potential loophole for abuse. Issues like colleges accepting more students than they can accommodate have led to problems, such as revoked acceptance letters, as seen with Northern College in Ontario in October 2023, where 500 students had their offers revoked due to housing and job shortages.
IRCC hopes these changes will address challenges and create a more controlled environment for international students in Canada.
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