Permanent residence in Canada after studies
The Canadian government has provided various residency programs for foreign graduates in this country to provide permanent residence through education.
Staying in Canada through education is possible in two ways. Each of these two paths have different accommodation plans. In the following, we introduce two methods that lead to obtaining permanent residence in Canada through education.
How to get permanent residence in Canada after studying in Canada?
If you have completed your studies at one of the Canadian universities or colleges with DLI and you intend to stay in Canada and obtain Canadian permanent residence after your studies, this can be done through the procedures for obtaining Canadian permanent residence shared between all provinces or the same federal as well as procedures It is possible to obtain permanent residence in Canada.
Methods of obtaining Canadian permanent residence related to the whole of Canada (federal)
Express Entry is an immigration system that the Canadian government launched in 2015 for people to immigrate to Canada and obtain permanent residence in Canada. This system can be used for all of Canada.
Express Entry itself has programs that, as a graduate student from Canada, you can use one of these programs to stay in Canada after your studies:
Canadian experience Canadian Experience Class
The Canadian Experience Program through the Express Entry immigration system is one of the fastest ways to get Canadian permanent residency. This program is popular among students who graduate from Canadian institutions and universities.
Factors are required to act through this program and through them you must obtain the minimum desired score. These factors include age, language skills, educational level and one year of working experience in Canada .
If you are eligible for the Canadian Experience Program:
- Create an Express Entry profile.
- According to your conditions, you will be given a score called CRS score and it will be entered into your database.
- You will be ranked in your database according to the points you have earned.
- If you are among the people with a high rank and score, you will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) from the Canadian Immigration and Citizenship Department, which is a permit to apply for permanent residence in Canada.
- After receiving the invitation, send your documents to the Canadian immigration office and submit the Canadian permanent residence application.
Federal Skilled Workforce Federal Skilled Worker
The Federal Skilled Worker Program is another program of the Express Entry system that can be among the options for permanent residence in Canada for a number of students who have graduated from Canada. Unlike the CEC Canadian Experience Program, the FSW Skilled Workforce Program does not require Canadian work experience, but you must have worked outside of Canada for at least one year.
FSW is a merit-based immigration program where high-scoring applicants receive an invitation and are allowed to apply for permanent residence in Canada. If you are a graduate with no work experience, you cannot apply for permanent residence in Canada through this program.
Procedures for obtaining Canadian permanent residence for each Canadian province (province)
In addition to the methods mentioned in the previous section, each Canadian province has its own immigration programs called PNP (Provincial Nominee Programs). The conditions of each Canadian provincial immigration program or PNP are different from other programs and have different functions.
As a graduate student from Canada, you can apply for permanent residence in Canada through provincial immigration programs.
Usually, provincial immigration programs are suitable for people who have a history of studying or working in that province. After obtaining residence through the province, you do not have to stay in that province and you can work and live anywhere in Canada.
Quebec immigration system
The province of Quebec in Canada has its own immigration system and the required conditions and immigration process are different from other Canadian provinces. If you are one of the students who completed your studies in the province of Quebec, you can apply for permanent residence in Canada through the immigration programs of the province of Quebec.
Quebec has two main immigration programs, which include the following programs:
- Quebec Experience Program (PEQ)
To qualify for the PEQ program, you must have completed your studies at one of Quebec’s universities or institutions. Also have advanced level French speaking skills.
- Quebec Skilled Worker (QSW) program
This program is suitable for students who have completed their studies in the province of Quebec or are in the process of completing it. Unlike the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ), this program does not require mandatory French language skills, but you must have the minimum score required to apply.
Converting a student visa to permanent residence in Canada
After completing your studies in Canada, you can convert your study visa to Canadian permanent residence through any of the immigration methods described in the previous sections, such as federal and provincial immigration methods.
For example , if you want to use CEC’s Canadian experience immigration program for permanent residence in Canada after graduation, you must have worked in Canada for 12 months before that.
To get this work experience, it is necessary to get a post-study work visa or PGWP in Canada after completing your studies and start working. After the end of the first year and gaining 12 months of Canadian work experience, you can apply for the Canadian experience immigration program through the Express Entry system and convert your student visa to permanent residence in Canada.
Statistics of students who became permanent residents in Canada after graduation – by each province – 2015 to January 2022
| State | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | January 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 2,725 | 2,430 | 3,555 | 3,755 | 4,335 | 3,030 | 10,490 | 895 |
| British Columbia | 1,425 | 1,505 | 1,565 | 1,980 | 2,345 | 1,635 | 4,615 | 610 |
| Quebec | 1,575 | 1,695 | 1,670 | 2,050 | 1,335 | 915 | 2,600 | 230 |
| Alberta | 1,700 | 1,450 | 1,300 | 1,405 | 1,455 | 975 | 2,145 | 180 |
| Manitoba | 300 | 295 | 295 | 435 | 570 | 395 | 965 | 80 |
| Saskatchewan | 465 | 495 | 585 | 695 | 555 | 300 | 625 | 85 |
| Nova Scotia | 125 | 130 | 165 | 225 | 345 | 210 | 540 | 60 |
| New Brunswick | 110 | 110 | 90 | 160 | 305 | 135 | 340 | 45 |
| Prince Edward Island | 60 | 75 | 120 | 130 | 155 | 75 | 155 | 20 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 65 | 80 | 55 | 105 | 145 | 65 | 145 | 25 |
| Yukon | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 15 | 0 | 40 | 0 |
| Northwest Territories | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 0 |
| Nunavut | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 8,565 | 8,270 | 9,410 | 10,950 | 11,565 | 7,750 | 22,670 | 2,235 |
Statistics of students who became permanent residents in Canada after graduation – by each immigration program – 2015 to January 2022
