Indian students in Canada more likely to obtain permanent residency

Canada has emerged as a highly welcoming destination for immigrants in the past two decades. Notably, the country has actively embraced a growing number of international students, encouraging them to remain in Canada post-graduation.

According to data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for January to October 2021, an impressive 97.5 percent of international graduates applying for permanent residency were successful, surpassing the 91.5 percent success rate for other permanent residency applicants. CIC News also reports that international student graduates who worked during or after their studies, particularly in higher-paying positions, were more likely (60 percent) to become permanent residents.

Statistics from IRCC reveal that Indian students constitute one of the largest international student groups in Canada, with their numbers surging by almost 350 percent between the academic years 2015-16 and 2019-20. From January to November 2021, approvals for Indian students to study in Canada reached nearly 130,000.

International student graduates can apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), providing an open work permit for employment in Canada, enabling them to gain valuable Canadian work experience. With a minimum of one year of work experience in Canada and proficiency in either English or French, graduates may transition to permanent residency through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), as explained by Yatharth Gulati, co-founder of Rostrum Education.

The rising demand for Canadian academic courses corresponds with these trends. According to Tarun Aggarwal, CBO and Head of StudyAbroad at CollegeDekho, nearly 50 percent of queries on their StudyAbroad portal are for Canada, with a significant portion focused on short-term diploma courses, including disciplines such as Supply Chain Management, MBA, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Master in Management.

As the intake of international students as permanent residents increases, the question arises of how Indian students can enhance their CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) scores. Canada’s merit-based points system assesses candidates in the Express Entry pool. Students can boost their scores through various means, such as achieving a high score in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), aiming for an IELTS score of 8.0 or higher, and claiming points for proficiency in English and French. Canadian academic degrees, Canadian work experience, and having blood relations in the country also contribute to an increased CRS score.

Age is another factor influencing the CRS score, with maximum points awarded to applicants in the 20-29 age group. Yatharth Gulati advises students not to delay their application process and to apply soon after completing their graduation.

In 2021, Canada set a record by welcoming over 405,000 permanent residents, prompting the government, led by Justin Trudeau, to raise the immigration target for 2022 to 431,645. Additionally, Canada aims to attract around 1.3 million new immigrants over the next three years, presenting more opportunities for former study permit holders to obtain permanent residency, according to Karunn Kandoi, General Manager and Head of India Operations at ApplyBoard.