Unsubsidized Quebec Colleges Strict Measures – IRCC announced the implementation of a measure on 7 June 2022 to protect the integrity of the International Students Program in Quebec.
A new policy has been implemented to limit the eligibility for post-graduation work permits among graduates from private learning institutions that do not receive subsidies.
Jean Boulet and Sean Fraser made this announcement, and both are ministers of different immigration. Jean Boulet, the Quebec Minister of Immigration, Francization and Integration (MIFI) and Sean Fraser, Minister of IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada).
So, according to this measure, now international students who start a study program or any course at the unsubsidized private learning institutions in Quebec after 1 September 2023 will no longer be eligible for PGWP (Post-Graduation Work Permit).
However, those students who start their study program before 31 August 2023 only will be eligible for PGWP if their study program is at least 8 months or 900 hours or longer.
What Are Unsubsidized Colleges?
Colleges that operate without subsidies are for-profit institutions requiring a license from the Minister of Higher Education to offer college-level education.
These institutions commonly offer more than one short-term program in a specific field. In Quebec, attending such colleges made students eligible for a work permit following their studies, allowing them to stay and work in Canada for several years.
However, Radio Canada uncovered questionable practices surrounding the admission of these students, starting a government investigation.
The investigation confirmed that students were paying nearly $25,000 for a short training course taught exclusively in English, which granted them access to a work permit and the ability to settle in any province in Canada.
What Do Unsubsidized Quebec Colleges Strict Measures Mean for International Students
The new policy means that Quebec is now closing its immigration and PGWP pathways for international students who want to study in unsubsidized private colleges.
So, only those students are eligible for a work permit, who have completed their study program in public or subsidized private colleges.
There were around 4900 work permits issued from 2016 to 2018. But the number of work permits issued jumped to 11500 between 2019 and 2021.
Also, the number of unsubsidized private colleges has grown significantly. In 2015, there were only 28 colleges in Quebec, and in 2020, this number is grown and went up to 49.
In Quebec, students who complete an unsubsidized program of study may also not be eligible for a work permit, which is the same as policies in other provinces.
So, it is all about Unsubsidized Quebec Colleges Strict Measures.
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News Source – immigrationnewscanada.ca
