For Indian Students studying in Canada, there are several advantages when it comes to moving from international student status to permanent residence (PR); especially when compared to certain other countries such as the US. Indian students, who study in Canada, get additional points under the country’s points-based immigration system for the federal express entry under the Canadian experience class; the provincial nominee programmes and the federal skilled worker class; thus having a smoother pathway to permanent residence.
“The points-based system express entry system considers factors such as age, education, work experience, and language proficiency. International students who graduate from Canadian institutions have a competitive edge in securing PR through this system, as they gain additional points for Canadian work experience and education. There are some provincial nominee programmes which prioritise international students who have graduated from local institutions, providing them with a fast-track option to obtain PR,” says Pradyuman Jhala, who is a regulated Canadian immigration consultant (RCIC) with SPS Canada Immigration Inc, an immigration consultancy firm in Toronto.
Canada offers a post-graduate work permit for international students who have completed their studies at eligible Canadian institutions. Depending on the type of educational institutes they attend, international students become eligible to work in Canada for up to three years. “This work experience not only enhances their express entry profile but also increases their chances of securing a job offer from a Canadian employer, which can lead to PR,” says Harpreet Kaur, team lead at SPS Canada.
In 2022, there were over 2,26,450 Indian students who went to study in Canada, making them the biggest cohort of international students, according to official data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The number of Indians who received PR status in Canada in 2022 also went up to 1,18,095. “These figures suggest that an increasing number of Indian students are choosing to study in Canada and are successfully applying for PR through various immigration programmes. This trend may be attributed to several factors, including the quality of Canadian education, opportunities for work and immigration after graduation, and changes to Canadian immigration policies and programmes that make it easier for international students to stay and work in Canada after graduation,” says Kohinoor Dev Roy, RCIC at Edmonton-based Destination North Immigration Consulting.
Typically Indian students who go Canada for a master’s degree, or higher, with at least a year’s work experience in India; are well-positioned after their education in Canada to make it to the express entry pool after completing their education and one year of work experience in Canada.
“Canadian education definitely adds the tangible value of points. However, there are few other factors which are intangible and leave a significant impact on a candidate’s career. Co-ops and internships help students to enter the Canadian labour force even before they complete their programme. Secondly, they have the opportunity to get Canadian experience. Employers look for Canadian work experience and an overall understanding of working in Canada. And finally creating their own credit history will help international students to get mortgages from banks later. Earning from the start gives that leverage to their profile,” feels Dev Roy.
Using the Canadian experience class route, Indian students, who complete their higher education in Canada, could get the permanent residence status in two years after they finish their courses. “The time it takes to get the PR status for Indian students in Canada depends on the duration of their study. The longer the duration of the course, the better are the chances of getting PR. Students need to first apply for a work permit and then work for a year in an occupational category that is permitted under the PR application process. It will also take a few months to prepare the application papers and get a good score in the language examination IELTS,” says Ajay Sharma, president of Delhi-based consultancy firm Abhinav Immigration Services. He adds that it could be between two and four years before Indian students become eligible to apply for PR under the Canadian experience class through the express entry pool.
Many Indian students in Canada are also considering provincial nominee programmes (PNPs), which typically require support from employers in the form of job offers and meeting specific business eligibility requirements. “In summary, the minimum time it may take before applying for PR is approximately 2 years, considering various factors such as age, education, work experience, and language proficiency,” says Kaur.
While the route to getting PR in Canada is certainly attractive for Indian students, there are several challenges that they face as well. “English and French language proficiency are crucial factors in the PR application process. Indian students may struggle to achieve the necessary language test scores, especially if they are not native English speakers or familiar with French,” says Kaur.
Finding a suitable job in Canada that aligns with the applicant’s field of study and meets the national occupational classification (NOC) system to identify and categorise jobs (occupations) based on the training, education, experience and responsibilities, requirements; can be challenging. A competitive job market and a lack of professional networks may make it difficult for Indian students to secure relevant work experience. “As more and more international students are choosing Canada as their study destination, the competition for PR can be intense, particularly for certain immigration programmes, such as the Canadian experience class,” says Dev Roy. The Canadian immigration system, with its numerous programmes and pathways, can be complex and overwhelming for students. “One of the challenges, that Indian students face in Canada, is that immigration laws keep on changing. Sometimes students, who are in the middle of the application for PR could be hard hit by sudden changes,” says Sharma.
He adds that the biggest challenge for most Indian students is getting a job in a permitted occupation that will help in getting an invitation to apply (ITA) for PR. “Engineering; business; accounting and finance; IT and computer science; healthcare and education are the areas of study and work experience that will make the path to PR easier,” he adds. Often, Indian students face financial constraints that limit their ability to pay for immigration fees, language tests, and other expenses associated with the PR application process.
Janit S Dhawan, immigration consultant and director of operations at Key Global Immigration, Dubai, warns that the pathway to permanent residence in Canada through the express entry route is best suited only for those Indian students who go to Canada for masters programmes after a few years of job experience in India. “The express entry route works best for Indian students who get additional points for work experience through the Canadian experience class. Canadian employers are able to provide job offers and the labour market impact assessment (LMIA) documents on a fast track to Indians who have a Canadian educational degree and Canadian and Indian work experience. In such cases, PR can work out in as fast as in six months,” Dhawan says.
However, currently there are challenges in getting jobs for several Indian students in Canada with economic slowdown and a shrinking employment market globally. “In 2023, numerous companies are laying off employees in the context of cutting costs and remaining competitive in a challenging economic environment all over the world, which could be a temporary factor contributing towards the challenges faced in job searching in Canada these days,” says Kaur.
However, certain industries in Canada such as technology, healthcare and food & hospitality have serious labour shortages. “Students need to choose and align their courses and programmes according to labour market needs of the province they are choosing to study in,” feels Dev Roy.
Programmes through which Indian students in Canada can get a fast track permanent residence-
(Source: SPS Canada Immigration Inc)
Canadian Experience Class: The programme for skilled workers who have Canadian work experience and want to become permanent residents
Federal Skilled Worker Program: This programme is for skilled workers with foreign work experience (within the last 10 years) who want to immigrate to Canada permanently. Skilled work experience means that the applicant has worked in one of Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER categories. While Canadian work experience is not mandatory for the FSWP, having it can increase the applicant’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score and enhance their chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for PR.
Federal Skilled Trades Program: This is for skilled workers who want to become permanent residents based on being qualified in a skilled trade. They need at least two years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience) in a skilled trade within the five years before application. They require a job offer of at least one year or a certificate of qualification.
Provincial Nominee Programs: PNPs are immigration programmes managed by individual Canadian provinces to attract and retain skilled immigrants that meet specific regional labour market needs. Many PNPs have streams targeted at international students who have graduated from local ?institutions. These programmes may prioritise candidates with a job offer or a connection to the province, such as work experience or a close family member living there.
Atlantic Immigration Program: This is a pathway to permanent residence for skilled foreign workers and international graduates from a Canadian institution who want to work and live in one of Canada’s four Atlantic provinces—New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador. The programme helps employers hire qualified candidates for jobs they haven’t been able to fill locally.
Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot: This is a community driven programme. The communities assess prospective candidates who best fit the economic needs of the community or have a genuine employment opportunity that meets their community requirements. The candidates should have the intention of staying in the community and will then be recommended for permanent residence to IRCC for a final decision.

The post Indian students in Canada enjoy big advantage in getting permanent residence status appeared first on Guest Hype.