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Permanent Residency For Students

If you are a foreign student who recently graduated from Canada, you likely have the qualities to make a successful transition from temporary to permanent residence. There are various federal and provincial programs that help to get a Permanent Residency for Students.

There are several immigration programs listed below that may provide international students with thriving career opportunities and becoming Canadian permanent residents,

Canadian Experience Class

This program is operated under the Express Entry system which seeks to secure candidates with specific skilled working experience obtained in Canada with proper authorization. To apply for this program, applicants must be planning to live outside Quebec.

The specific skilled working experiences being sought after are:

  • Management Job Experience: examples: restaurant managers, mine managers, shore captains (fishing)
  • Professional Job Experience:  People usually need a degree from a university for these jobs: examples: doctors, dentists, architects
  • Technical Jobs and Skilled Trades Experience: People usually need a college diploma or to train as an apprentice to do these jobs: examples: chefs, electricians, plumbers

Eligibility Requirements

  • Candidate must have at least one year of continuous, full-time, or an equal amount of part-time work experience within the last 3 years.
  • The paid work experience must have occurred within the last 3 years before you apply.

Note: Self-employment and work experience gained while you were a full-time student (for example, on a co-op work term) do not count under this program.

The Quebec Experience Class Program

The Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) is the provincial program equivalent to the federal Canadian Experience Class program. The PEQ is designed specifically for foreign workers and students currently living in Quebec. It should be noted that the PEQ is not a point-based system such as the QSW program.

As long as you met the specific requirements you would be qualified. As such, the processing time for a PEQ application is significantly shorter as compared to other Immigration Quebec programs. Depending on whether you are a worker or a student there are 2 sets of requirements for the PEQ application.

Requirements for Student stream

  • Be at least 18 years old
  • Have the intention to settle in Québec and hold employment.
  • Have not violated the terms of your student permit and CAQ.
  • Possess a Québec diploma eligible for the PEQ or expect to complete your study program within six months of the date the next six months.
  • Possess an advanced‐intermediate level of French proficiency.

Related Links:
Study to Immigrate Program
Study Permit
How to Get a Canada Study Permit
How to Extend your Canada Study Permit
Student Life In Canada
Student Direct Stream
Work in Canada as a Student
Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP)
Study Permit Visa For Partner
Designated Learning Institutions (DLI)
How to Prepare for an IELTS Exam
Canada Education System
Levels of Education in Canada

Requirements for worker stream

  • Be at least 18 years old.
  • Have the intention to settle in Québec and hold employment.
  • Possess a lawful work permit and is currently working for a Quebec employer.
  • Possess a minimum of 12 months of eligible work experience (skill level O, A or B) on a lawful work permit in Quebec.
  • Possess an advanced‐intermediate level of French proficiency.

Provincial Nominee Programs

Each Provincial and territory has its own streams and criteria for its Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Depending on the province where an international student completed their program of study, they may be eligible to apply for a PNP within that province. If you are nominated from one of these programs you may be eligible to use the Express Entry System to expedite the processing of your file.

Post-Graduation Work Permit

While applying for a post-graduation work permit, you must be within Canada. Right after your graduation, you have around 6 months to apply. You are only able to work in Canada if you have valid or unexpired study and work permits. So never wait for the semester results announcements

You qualify for PGWP if you;

  • Have studied in a Canadian college, institution, university, or trade school.
  • Have graduated from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI)
  • Have studied a program at least for 8 months
  • Have been a full-time Canadian student in a program

If you are outside of Canada and want to apply for a PGWP, you can do so by showing approval for a study permit. We can then help you prepare and submit applications. Once you graduate from your studies, we can also help you apply for permanent residency through any of these streams. Contact us to know more about the process that you want to follow and we can help you decide!