GS Paper - II

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced changes to the country’s international work permit system, aiming to reduce the number of immigrant workers in Canada. Trudeau said Canada will grant 35% fewer international student permits this year, with the number going down by another 10% next year.

Why has Canada curbed international work permits?

1. Canada issued approximately 4, 85,000 student permits in 2024, compared to over 5, 00,000 in 2023. The number is expected to further decrease to 4,37,000 in 2025.
2. This is in line with recent policy changes where the government has cited pressure on cities’ infrastructure, higher rents and a “massive” increase in immigration for imposing restrictions.
3. It has also been found that some students used the system to apply for asylum after arriving in Canada. Trudeau said in his post, “Immigration is an advantage for our economy — but when bad actors abuse the system and take advantage of students, we crack down.”
4. The visa-issuance process has been adjusted to detect fraudulent or rejected asylum claims.
5. The proposed reduction in temporary residents, from 6.5 per cent of Canada’s population to 5 per cent, will be reflected in the 2025-2027 immigration levels plan to be released by 1 November 2024.

What are the new restrictions on PGWP?

• The Postgraduate Work Permits (PGWPs) for international graduates, postgraduates, master’s and doctoral programme students in Canada are valid for three years.
• The Canadian government aims to reduce the number of PGWPs by 1.75 lakh through stricter rules in the next three years.
• Spouse work permits will be reduced by 50,000, and given only if one’s partner is pursuing a master’s programme for a minimum of 16 months.
• Before applying for the PGWP, students must now pass a language proficiency test called the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB).
• The required score is 7 for university undergraduates and 5 for college undergraduates for all applications submitted from 1 November 2024 onwards. Earlier, the CLB was only needed to apply for Permanent Residency (PR).

What are the challenges for students?

• The future of lakhs of diploma holders who completed their courses in August is uncertain.
• Those who studied business administration, IT, etc., may find their qualifications no longer suit Canada’s long-term job requirements, said Nitin Chawla of Kapri, an immigration consultancy firm in Ludhiana.
• Canadian colleges offering such courses may also see fewer international students enroll if they do not introduce new programmes. Punjab-based consultants have noted that students with skills in plumbing, refrigeration and air conditioning/heating, mechanics, AI and machine learning, carpentry, health, and the nursing sector — all seeing labour shortages — have opportunities to obtain a PGWP.