For years, international students have chosen to study in Canada for its reputable universities, diverse environment, and the opportunity to gain work experience in a new country.
Getting a Canadian education and eligible work experience can also improve a candidate’s chance of getting permanent residence (PR) in Canada. This is because international students who graduate from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) receive extra points in Canada’s Express Entry system, making them more competitive in the pool.
Discover your options to study in Canada
Still, an education in Canada is not a guaranteed pathway toward permanent residency. While Canada offers multiple pathways to work and settle in the country after graduation, this is based on factors including a candidate’s skills, qualifications, and the occupation they work in.
Over the last few months, Canada has also been changing immigration policies to be more in-line with its labour market needs. This, as well as the increasingly competitive pool of qualified candidates, can make it harder to transition from a study permit to permanent residency.
For international students who would like to one day call Canada home, here are some things to maximize their points.
Stay up to date with changing immigration policy
Immigration policies in Canada are subject to change depending on the country’s economic needs.
For an international student planning on applying for permanent status in the future, it can help to remain informed of eligibility criteria for different programs.
For example, earlier this year the government announced that international students who have enrolled in a study program with a curriculum licensing agreement will no longer be eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) upon graduation.
This is a style of study program offered by a private college that has been licensed to deliver the curriculum of an associated public college. These programs often have less oversight than those delivered by public colleges.
If a student plans to get work experience in Canada with the help of a PGWP, they should research which study programs are eligible for PGWP upon graduation.
Choose in-demand professions
In 2023, Canada launched category-specific Express Entry draws to focus on occupations and proficiencies that are in demand. This includes the following occupations:
- Healthcare
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)
- Trade
- Transport
- Agriculture and agri-food
Students who are still undecided on their career path can pursue qualifications in one of the category-based draws if that career path is of interest to them.
For example, a student can pursue a career in STEM such as architecture, engineering, data science, or web development to increase their chances at the Express Entry draw. However, these categories are subject to change though and do not guarantee permanent residency.
Research Provincial Nominee Programs
Every province and territory, with the exception of Quebec and Nunavut, operates Provincial Nominee Programs to attract skilled workers to the province.
If an international student feels like their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score isn’t high enough and/or they don’t qualify for a category-based draw, they can also look at whether they qualify for a provincial nomination.
There are two different routes to immigrate under a PNP – one is through Express Entry where provinces award eligible candidates an additional 600 CRS points, helping them receive PR under Express Entry (a process known as enhanced nomination). Another route is directly through a PNP stream (base nomination)
There are more than 80 different provincial economic stream programs that students can explore, making this a valuable opportunity for those looking to gain permanent residency in Canada through education and employment.
That said, PNP criteria may change depending on the province’s economic priorities.
Improve both language abilities
Canada has two official languages – English and French – and being bilingual has many benefits in the PR process.
One way for an international student to increase their CRS score is to maximize the number of points they can receive in their primary language. They can do this by retaking language tests like IELTS or CELPIP (for English) if they don’t hit the highest score the first time.
Learning a second language also adds valuable points to a candidate’s CRS score which can help them get an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
Apart from that, Canada also launched French language proficiency category-based draws, and there has been a huge focus on these draws in 2024—a trend that is expected to continue in 2025 and 2026. To be eligible, candidates must possess a minimum score of 7 in all four language abilities (reading, writing, speaking and listening) on the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC).
Validate all degrees
Canada’s Express Entry system awards points for education. If a student has more than one degree, but it is done outside Canada, they could get this validated by one of the designated organizations approved by the Canadian government (like WES).
International students can also look at enrolling in an eligible degree or program within the country to improve their prospects.
