How to Hire International Students

Hiring International Students

Are you an employer who is thinking about hiring international students to broaden your company’s cultural diversity or to give international student the opportunity to thrive in Canada? You definitely have the option to do so. You, as an employer, may hire eligible international students while they study or after they graduate. In this blog, you will learn relevant information about the process of hiring international students, as well as the eligibility of the students.

Hiring Study Permit Holders

You may be able to hire students who are still completing their programs. In other words, students may work off campus without a work permit as soon as they begin their studies in Canada. Study permit holders may work for any eligible Canadian employer for up to 20 hours a week during the school year and during schedules breaks. The students need to meet the following requirements:

• have a valid study permit
• be a full-time student (the program needs to be at least six months long)
• be enrolled at a designated learning institution at the post-secondary level or, in Quebec, a vocational program at the secondary level
• be studying in a program that is academic (leads to a degree, diploma or certificate), vocational or professional training

After students have already met these requirements, they may apply for a Social Insurance Number.

The most important part of meeting the eligibility requirements is that you ask the student for a letter of enrollment to confirm that they are studying full-time in an eligible program at a post-secondary school (or a vocational program at the secondary level in Quebec).

Hiring Post-Graduate Work Permit Holders

If you have completed or graduated from a post-secondary program of at least eight months, you may apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). The post-graduate work permit is also an open work permit, which means it allows foreign students to work for any eligible employer in Canada for up to three years, depending on the length of your study program.

Unlike a closed work permit, you do not need to have an offer of employment from a Canadian employer, as you will be permitted to work anywhere and for any eligible employers in Canada. Instead, you will be providing information about your nationality, proficiency in English or French, age, level of education, previous work experience, income and financial supports and so forth.

What if I am a Student with Work Experience

If you have work experience, then you may be eligible to apply for permanent residence through Express Entry.

In order to qualify for the Express Entry immigration system, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada will ask about your:

• nationality
• age
• English and/or French proficiency
• family members
• education
• work experience

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada will tell you what programs you may be eligible for based on your answers. After Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada has determined your eligibility for your prospective program, you will be examined with the Comprehensive Ranking System. The Comprehensive Ranking System determines a variety of factors that show a foreign work’s capability to be a competitive and valuable contribution to the Canadian economy. The higher your score is, the better the chance you will be selected to receive an invitation for permanent residency in Canada. The major components of assessment are:

• Skills
• Work Experience
• Education
• English and/or French proficiency
• Other Factors

Additionally, the Comprehensive Ranking System can also give you points for any of the following as well:

• Canadian diploma, degree or certificate
• Valid job offer from a Canadian employer
• Nomination from a Province or Territory
• Other Factors

Provincial Nominee Program

If you are a foreign student with or without work experience, you may be eligible for the Provincial Nominee Program. The Provincial nominee program allows provinces and territories in Canada, with the exception of Quebec, to nominate individuals and persons with certain skills and certain qualities to apply for permanent residence. In order to be nominated, you have to meet the specific local labour market needs by having certain jobs, education, work experience, official language skills and age. The main purpose of the provincial nominee program is to allow provinces to have better control of the services and employment sectors in their region, and ensure the employment market remains driven and competitive.

In order to be nominated by the province you intend to work and reside in, you have to first decide the province or territory you want to live in. The next step will be applying directly to that respective province or territory for a provincial nomination. Upon receiving your application, the province or territory will review your application based on the following:

• Whether or not your permanent residence will benefit the provincial or territorial economy
• If your work experience, education, and occupational skills are coherent with the employment demographics and demand of the province.
• If you truly plan on living in the province in which you applied for

Contact Akrami and Associates

Hiring international students requires both the employer and the employee to meet certain criteria, and this may make the process confusing, or sometimes, overwhelming. Moreover, immigration applications can be difficult when you are doing it on your own. As a result, it is highly recommended that you seek out professional and experienced help before attempting to hire international students. Akrami & Associates work and have experience with many different immigration issues. We have helped many of our clients to hire international students. Please feel free to contact Akrami & Associates at 416-477-2545 for more information, or if you would like to book a consultation with an immigration professional for more advise.

There is always a way!!