The meaning and countermeasures of the temporary immigration program for more than 90,000 students and workers in health care and essential occupations announced on April 14

Another disruptive action has been announced unprecedented in Canadian immigration history. In the COVID-19 situation, not only workers in major occupational groups in trade, such as electricity and construction, as well as health and medical care, which are essential fields for maintaining Canada's social and economic system, as well as international students who have received education and training to work in Canada, will benefit from this temporary program. has been able to





Application Requirements and Target

The number of selected candidates (excluding the French speaking program) is 20,000 Health Care Workers, 30,000 Essential Workers, and 40,000 college graduates, and the basic application requirements are as follows.



<Health care and essential occupations>

1) 1 year full-time or equivalent part-time experience within 3 years (1,560 hours)

2) English or French score of CLB 4 or higher obtained within 2 years

3) Employed status

4) Residency in Canada at the time of application and approval

<Canadian University Graduation International Student>

1) Graduated from a Canadian university after January 2017

- Possess a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree that has been studied for more than 8 months

- Possession of Attestation, Certificate, Diploma studied for more than 16 months

- Possess a degree related to the designated Skilled Trade occupational program regardless of the period

2) English or French score of CLB 5 or higher obtained within 2 years

3) Employed status

4) Residency in Canada at the time of application and approval





Unconventional Measures to Accept International Students Immigration

If this announcement proceeds without change, the most noteworthy item is that most international students who have completed Canadian higher education institutions, including colleges, can be eligible for any position, as long as they are employed at the time of immigration application. This includes implied status that has not yet received a work permit after applying for the PGWP while holding a study permit, and all other statuses that can legally work after completing the training course can be applied for. In addition, both part-time and full-time jobs are possible, and even low NOC levels such as service positions can be eligible.

Of course, in the case of English applicants, there is a limit of 40,000 people and a limited application period of 6 months, but it is a groundbreaking measure that is difficult to find in the past in all respects.

Background to the announcement of the Temporary Immigration Program

The direct starting point that is the background of this action was the announcement of the aggressive immigrant childish decision in November 2020 during the corona situation. The Canadian government has announced a goal of selecting 401,000 new permanent residents in 2021 as an immigrant acceptance plan for 2021-2023. However, due to border closures and entry restrictions that had to be extended continuously after this announcement, temporary foreign residents currently living in Canada rather than foreigners residing abroad have been paid attention to and the selection criteria have been analyzed as active immigration candidates.

In fact, since the Canadian government began focusing its immigration program on the economic sector, foreign workers who are employed by Canadian companies and contributing to the stability of the labor market have been recognized as the group with the greatest potential for immigration. And students who have completed post-university post-secondary programs in Canada are mostly young and have been seen as a key talent group to help address Canada's aging demographic.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic has created a situation where they are forced to face difficulties in obtaining and applying for permanent residence. If this situation is neglected, they will eventually have no choice but to return to their home countries despite having received sufficient education and training to contribute to the Canadian economy, which will lead to greater difficulties for Canadian society in the long run.





Future prospects and countermeasures

Following the selection of 75 Express Entry points last February, it is expected that foreign workers and students residing in Canada will continue to have additional immigration opportunities in the future through this first-come, first-served immigration program. Moreover, it seems that the EE selection score will continue to be lowered due to these temporary programs, so those who have a status that can legally work in Canada, such as PGWP, spouse work permit, and closed work permit, or those who are international students In order not to miss the opportunity, you need to keep in mind the following points.

1) You must always secure English language test scores (CELPIP, IELTS), which are the basic submission requirements for various immigration application programs.

2) There is no limit on the number of applicants who have an official French score in this temporary program. If you can make a French score, it is advantageous to proceed as a French applicant.

3) If you have a plan to leave Canada, it is necessary to maintain your stay in Canada as much as possible. Re-entry may be difficult due to the corona situation.

4) Even if you have already left Canada, if you have a valid Work Permit, it is recommended to receive a Job Offer and pursue re-entry to Canada.

5) It is necessary to maintain employment in any occupation and, if possible, to develop occupational experience beyond the Essential Occupational Group or Technical Occupation (NOC B).a

6) If you are an international student currently enrolled, you must not take a voluntary leave of absence or take part-time classes that are not recognized by the school in order to safely secure the PGWP application requirements.

6) There are many cases where permanent residency is rejected due to arbitrary interpretation of sensitive immigration law regulations and various paperwork errors. Since the professional field of immigration law and English proficiency are separate areas, it is recommended that you seek help from an immigration expert (certified immigration consultant, immigration lawyer) in order to make good use of the long-awaited opportunity to acquire permanent residency.