One year Graduate certificate and 1 year PGWP to PR process

[fernando8]

Hi
I am currently studying as one year graduate certificate program and I found a reliable work position part-time in accounting field. I am still confused that I have to study a another one year program to obtain 3 year PGWR. Is it possible to obtain a fulltime work-permit while on study permit with a employer job offer? or what is the risk of having a one year PGWP to obtain the PR? This will be a great help because as an international student we all invest substantial amount of our savings to Canada and in return we go through lot of obstacles. Thank you

 

[scylla]

Hi
I am currently studying as one year graduate certificate program and I found a reliable work position part-time in accounting field. I am still confused that I have to study a another one year program to obtain 3 year PGWR. Is it possible to obtain a fulltime work-permit while on study permit with a employer job offer? or what is the risk of having a one year PGWP to obtain the PR? This will be a great help because as an international student we all invest substantial amount of our savings to Canada and in return we go through lot of obstacles. Thank you

It's really very risky to go with just a one year PGWP. That gives you very little time to qualify and be selected for PR.

You don't know if you'll get a full time job offer after you graduate and if you will therefore have enough work experience to qualify for CEC. Even if you do, will you have enough points to be selected through EE? It's quite possible the days of the stand along CEC draws and low scores are long done and things will revert to how they were previously where CEC candidaets had to complete with FSW candidates and achieve much higher scores.

Lots of opportunities for things to go wrong and for you to run out of time on your 1 year PGWP and end up with no PR. Studying 2 years to qualify for a 3 year PGWP is a much better option.

Of course your choice.

 

[andrews17]

I agree with everything @scylla said, but I gotta add something.

There are some countries that have an LMIA exemption, which means you can obtain a closed work permit without having to get an LMIA if you have a passport of a country that is exempted. I know some of those countries are Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Chile, and maybe Panama, but I don't know any others outside of America.

So let's say you have a passport from an exempted LMIA country. You study one year, you get a one-year PGWP, you get a job (recognized as a qualified job), and just before your PGWP expires, you apply for a closed work permit with that employer using your LMIA exemption. You keep working with your closed work permit and after you complete one year, you apply for CEC. You still keep your closed work permit until you get invited to CEC. I know that because I have a Colombian passport and I paid consultation with an immigration lawyer before starting my immigration plan. The consultant advised I could do that if I didn't want to study for two years.

I explained it in the most simple way possible, there's a lot of details you must know first. You'll most likely want to hire an immigration lawyer for this.

I have to add also that I recently read something that Canada will not be allowing you to apply for a closed work permit if you're on a study permit and you haven't completed your studies. Seems like a lot of people were using the study permit just to come to Canada and then left their studies to get a work permit.

Edit. I found a source that says this:

If you are a citizen of the following countries, you may qualify for a work permit under one of the LMIA exemption categories, depending on your profession and acquired experience: USA, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Colombia, Panama, citizen of any country in the European Union, Australia and New Zealand.

https://encubate.ca/canada/lmia-exemptions/

 

[blueberrymuffin93]

I agree with everything @scylla said, but I gotta add something.

There are some countries that have an LMIA exemption, which means you can obtain a closed work permit without having to get an LMIA if you have a passport of a country that is exempted. I know some of those countries are Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Chile, and maybe Panama, but I don't know any others outside of America.

So let's say you have a passport from an exempted LMIA country. You study one year, you get a one-year PGWP, you get a job (recognized as a qualified job), and just before your PGWP expires, you apply for a closed work permit with that employer using your LMIA exemption. You keep working with your closed work permit and after you complete one year, you apply for CEC. You still keep your closed work permit until you get invited to CEC. I know that because I have a Colombian passport and I paid consultation with an immigration lawyer before starting my immigration plan. The consultant advised I could do that if I didn't want to study for two years.

I explained it in the most simple way possible, there's a lot of details you must know first. You'll most likely want to hire an immigration lawyer for this.

I have to add also that I recently read something that Canada will not be allowing you to apply for a closed work permit if you're on a study permit and you haven't completed your studies. Seems like a lot of people were using the study permit just to come to Canada and then left their studies to get a work permit.

Edit. I found a source that says this:



https://encubate.ca/canada/lmia-exemptions/

Sorry, esto es súper tarde! Pero te leí buscando en Google y estoy en una situación similar. Vine con SP pensando hacer 2 PG certificates, pero la verdad es queue estoy terminando el primero y ya no quiero hacer el próximo por el dinero que significa. Cómo lo hiciste? Conseguiste un trabajo apenas terminó tu programa? Mi plan es postular a 1 año de PGWP y luego aplicar a una Young Professional para ganar más tiempo, pero me da miedo no alcanzar a juntar los puntos para el OINP o EE en dos años :/ (Soy de Chile, así que estoy en el tramo que mencionas)

 

[andrews17]

Sorry, esto es súper tarde! Pero te leí buscando en Google y estoy en una situación similar. Vine con SP pensando hacer 2 PG certificates, pero la verdad es queue estoy terminando el primero y ya no quiero hacer el próximo por el dinero que significa. Cómo lo hiciste? Conseguiste un trabajo apenas terminó tu programa? Mi plan es postular a 1 año de PGWP y luego aplicar a una Young Professional para ganar más tiempo, pero me da miedo no alcanzar a juntar los puntos para el OINP o EE en dos años :/ (Soy de Chile, así que estoy en el tramo que mencionas)

Hola. Mi plan inicial era estudiar un año de graduate certificate, conseguir trabajo y, si no lograba que me invitaran por Express Entry antes de cumplir un año, pasarme a trabajo con LMIA basado en convenio con pasaporte colombiano (que también aplica para chilenos).

Hice mi 1-year program, terminé en abril de 2022.
Comencé a buscar trabajo desde marzo 2022 antes de terminar mis estudios, pero no fue tan fácil como pensé. Comencé a trabajar a finales de junio.
Metí mi aplicación para PGWP en mayo de 2022 y me la aprobaron en septiembre de 2022 con validéz hasta septiembre de 2023.
A inicios de 2023 comencé a averiguar los tramites para pasarme a closed work permit con LMIA, pero me di cuenta que no era tan fácil como creí que sería. La empresa donde trabajo tenían políticas de no patrocinar a nadie por LMIA, por lo que si quería irme por esa opción tendría que haberme cambiado de trabajo.
Finalmente aprobaron la extensión de PGWP para aquellos cuyos permisos de trabajo se vencieran en 2023 y por ese medio logré extender mi permiso hasta abril de 2025. En diciembre de 2023 me invitaron por OINP, aún en proceso de aprobación.

Esa es mi experiencia personal. En resumen, te aconsejo tomar la vía de dos años de estudios para tener más tiempo de conseguir la experiencia necesaria y seguir el camino a la residencia permanente. De no haber sido por esa opción de extender mi PGWP (que ya dijeron que no lo harán más) probablemente ya no estaría en Canadá.