Thousands of international students were rejected for permanent residence this winter, caught up in changes to Canada’s immigration system intended to speed up recruitment of skilled workers but criticized as leading to uncertainty for prospective immigrants & employers.
Those whose applications were returned had rushed to beat the introduction of the Express Entry system on Jan. 1, 2015. Express Entry is a preliminary screening tool that processes particularly strong prospective immigrants much faster. But applicants must wait to see if they have enough points to be invited to apply. Under CEC, former international students with Canadian work experience were almost guaranteed acceptance as permanent residents.
“Students now have to engage in this kind of lottery. When someone is coming here & paying international tuition fees & getting work experience, why should they be judged like someone applying from abroad,” said Lev Abramovich, an immigration lawyer in Toronto who represents students whose applications were returned.
Still, some foreign residents who studied in Canada say the new system can make it harder to find work. A graduate of Simon Fraser University who came to Canada from Hong Kong said she can no longer give prospective employers clear answers on her immigration status.
“Under the old system, you could tell your manager legitimately that you are applying for permanent residency. It created more of a trusting relationship. Under the new system, you are waiting to be invited. … there’s now a risk that is involved,” said the graduate in accounting & marketing, who wanted to remain anonymous.
The federal government insists that once it is fully implemented by 2017, Express Entry will provide international students with a faster path to residency. In addition, international students will not need their credentials assessed for Canadian equivalency because they earned their degrees here.
Nevertheless, Canadian universities have been monitoring the situation.
“We are working with the federal government to ensure … that international graduates of Canadian universities continue to have opportunity for permanent residency,” the Association of Universities & Colleges of Canada said in a statement.
Other countries that have changed their immigration rules have seen steep drops in international students. The U.K., for example, had a 50% decline in students from India & Pakistan after it imposed limits on these students’ ability to work in England after graduation.
“We went from a system of certainty to complete uncertainty,” said Evan Green, a partner & immigration lawyer at Green & Spiegel LLP in Toronto.
Those whose applications were returned had rushed to beat the introduction of the Express Entry system on Jan. 1, 2015. Express Entry is a preliminary screening tool that processes particularly strong prospective immigrants much faster. But applicants must wait to see if they have enough points to be invited to apply. Under CEC, former international students with Canadian work experience were almost guaranteed acceptance as permanent residents.
“Students now have to engage in this kind of lottery. When someone is coming here & paying international tuition fees & getting work experience, why should they be judged like someone applying from abroad,” said Lev Abramovich, an immigration lawyer in Toronto who represents students whose applications were returned.
Still, some foreign residents who studied in Canada say the new system can make it harder to find work. A graduate of Simon Fraser University who came to Canada from Hong Kong said she can no longer give prospective employers clear answers on her immigration status.
“Under the old system, you could tell your manager legitimately that you are applying for permanent residency. It created more of a trusting relationship. Under the new system, you are waiting to be invited. … there’s now a risk that is involved,” said the graduate in accounting & marketing, who wanted to remain anonymous.
The federal government insists that once it is fully implemented by 2017, Express Entry will provide international students with a faster path to residency. In addition, international students will not need their credentials assessed for Canadian equivalency because they earned their degrees here.
Nevertheless, Canadian universities have been monitoring the situation.
“We are working with the federal government to ensure … that international graduates of Canadian universities continue to have opportunity for permanent residency,” the Association of Universities & Colleges of Canada said in a statement.
Other countries that have changed their immigration rules have seen steep drops in international students. The U.K., for example, had a 50% decline in students from India & Pakistan after it imposed limits on these students’ ability to work in England after graduation.
“We went from a system of certainty to complete uncertainty,” said Evan Green, a partner & immigration lawyer at Green & Spiegel LLP in Toronto.
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