The pandemic led to the introduction of online education and distance learning as international students pursued studies while staying abroad and qualified for a Post-Graduation Work Permit.
IRCC declared recently on August 25 that distance learning measures will remain intact until August 31, 2023. This extension of the new measure would provide an opportunity for the students to come back to the country.
International students can complete their program while staying abroad and those who apply for a study permit before August 31, 2022. Their PGWP eligibility will not be impacted in any way.
Earlier when there wasn’t any pandemic, students could complete at least half of their program online, while the online study time was subtracted from their PGWP length, irrespective of when the studies began.
The temporary distance learning measures will impact students who are yet to begin their program between September 1, 2022, and August 31, 2023. The new measures will affect in the following ways:
- On earning 50 percent of credits, you can use them to complete studies outside Canada to qualify for a PGWP. But you can’t use more than the 50 % credits for the same.
- Suppose you complete your studies online while living abroad onwards September 1, 2023, the PGWP length will be subtracted in the future.
The government of Canada will start giving significance to study permit applications for those starting their studies in September. However, few international students might face delays in the processing time for their application for beginning their education in person. This situation might arise due to the high intake period during the fall season of 2022.
