The Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) is now the number one work permit in Canada.  It may be obtained after graduating from a Canadian institute and may be valid anywhere between eight months and up to three years depending on the length of study program.  Graduating students who gain one year work experience while holding PGWP may qualify for permanent residence under Canada Experience Class.  In 2019, nearly 200,000 former international students held a PGWP, and around 60,000 former students obtain Canadian permanent residence each year.  PGWP requires students to complete their program of study in Canada. However, under the new policy students who are unable to physically come to Canada by the end of 2020, can begin their studies at a Canadian institution from the comfort of their own home and then travel to Canada to finish their program here.  This will not affect their eligibility to qualify for the PGWP at a later stage even if they took 50% of their prog...

Shortly before the pandemic hit Canada, the Minister of immigration announced Canada’s immigration plan and reiterated the pledge to welcome over one million immigrants by 2021. In February 2020, we saw the biggest Express Entry draw ever when Canada invited 4900 applicants to apply for permanent residence in Canada in a single draw. Then there came the pandemic and borders were closed. Surprisingly, the Canadian immigration department continued to select immigrants from it’s online Express Entry pool, albeit with a slightly modified strategy whereby they shifted their focus toward provincial nominee and Canada Experience class candidates. This was considered a smart move as most of the applicants under the provincial nominee and Canada Experience Class are believed to be already residing in Canada and do not require to enter the country from overseas. This strategy ensured that Canada continue to get the very vital supply of qualified immigrants and help it achieve its goal welcoming ...

IRCC has just announced new measures to help international students start a new program online from outside Canada.  Canada has announced changes to facilitate online learning for international students. International students can now include the time they apply for a study permit, rather than when they were approved for one, towards a future post-graduation work permit.  Students must eventually be approved for a study permit, and complete more than 50% of their program in Canada. IRCC is also providing priority processing for students who have submitted a complete study permit application. The biggest change, however, is that the Study permit applications will now be approved in 2 stages: These stages are: Eligibility, and Admissibility To pass the eligibility stage, students must show that they have been accepted in a Canadian institute, have available funds and are otherwise eligible for the study permit. Applicants passing eligibility will be notified of a 1st stage appro...

The Government of Canada has provided an update on travel restrictions put in place to restrict the spread of COVID-19. These Exemptions will apply to foreign nationals who have already been approved for work permit, study permit or permanent residence.  Exemptions: The exemptions include seasonal agricultural workers, fish/seafood workers, caregivers and all other temporary foreign workers international students who held a valid study permit, or had been approved for a study permit, when the travel restrictions took effect on March 18, 2020 permanent resident applicants who had been approved for permanent residence before the travel restrictions were announced on March 18, 2020, but who had not yet traveled to Canada Health Screening Protocols: Individuals will be subjected to health screening protocols before travel. In additions, they will be required to isolate themselves for 14 days upon their entrance in Canada. Visitors: In additions, others will be imp...

Immigration to Canada from Amir Ismail on Vimeo . We are pleased to announce that our Toronto team of immigration professionals will be visiting Pakistan from 7th September, 2015. You can book your one-to-one consultations in Karachi using our online booking system available on our website  http://www.amirismail.com/book-a-consultation/  if you are a professional/skilled worker who has at least one year of full time, paid and continous work experience, fluency in English and expect to score at least 6 bands or more in IELTS test and possess sufficient settlement funds as per the size of your family.  If you have further questions, please feel free to email us at  info@amirismail.com  instead of commenting on this post to receive an official and confidential response in your mailbox.     Amir Ismail & Associates (AIA) Authorized Immigration Advisers, Recognized by the Government of Canada 416-913-0230   | ...