Canada liberalizes work visas for recent grads

Opposite to recent trends in the U.S. and U.K.

The Financial Times reports on new federal regulations that allow international students to remain in Canada for up to three years after graduation, as they look for work.Citizenship and Immigration Canada grants permits to recent graduates for vary lengths, depending on the amount of time the applicant studied in Canada and the length of the permit cannot last longer than the time spent in school. The completion of a four-year degree, for example, can earn a graduate three years in Canada. If a student spent less than eight months studying at a Canadian institution, they are not eligible for the program.Daniel Muzyka, dean of UBC’s Sauder School of Business, told the Times the regulations could mean more graduates apply for Canadian citizenship.”Obtaining a degree from a Canadian university also facilitates the application for permanent residency status and, subsequently, citizenship so students, especially at the graduate level, take advantage of this upon graduation.”The Times wrote that 64,000 international students studied in Canada last year.