International Students Pursuing Online Classes Due to Visa Delays Will Be Eligib

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has extended distance learning provisions for international students outside Canada, without affecting their post-graduation work permit (PGWP) eligibility. Such students will be eligible for PGWP till August 31, 2023. The country is presently dealing with mounting student visa applications and has come up with this extension to allow international students to follow their academic calendar. 

Announcing the same on Twitter, IRCC said, “ International Students: as we transition back to pre-pandemic requirements, we are extending distance learning measures to pursue your studies online from outside Canada while remaining eligible for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) until August 31, 2023 (sic).”

Benefits of revised guidelines for international students

• A student can still finish up to 100% of the program online without impacting their eligibility for the PGWP if they are already studying online from outside of Canada or have applied for a study permit before August 31, 2022.
• A student can finish up to 50% of their program online from outside of Canada without compromising their eligibility for the PGWP if they begin a program between September 1, 2022, and August 31, 2023, or apply for a study permit before that date.
• No matter when the student started their studies, all study time spent outside of Canada will be subtracted from the length of your PGWP, starting September 1, 2023.

As per the Canadian High Commission in India, IRCC received about 123,500 student visa applications from Indians in the first five months of 2022. This figure was 55% higher than 2019 for the same duration. Currently, more than 23,0,000 Indian students are enrolled in post-secondary institutions in Canada.