This is a guest post from Cox & Palmer
(Member since 2005)
Over the last few years, there has been a lot of discussion in Nova Scotia about how we can increase our immigration and retain international students.
International students are an ideal way to grow our workforce: they are well-educated, they speak English or French, they have adapted to Canadian society and they are familiar with our culture.
Many of Nova Scotia’s international students want to stay in Nova Scotia after graduation. Most of them have one simple condition: they need to find worthwhile employment.
Hiring an international student is easier than you might think. Any student who obtained a Study Permit and successfully completed a full-time program of study in Canada of at least eight months at a qualified educational institution is eligible to apply for a Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP). A PGWP is an open Work Permit which allows the holder to work for any employer.
A PGWP cannot be valid for longer than the length of the student’s studies. If the student’s program lasted more than eight months but less than two years, a student can obtain a PGWP for the length of the student’s studies. If the program of study was two years or longer, a student can obtain a PGWP valid for three years.
A former international student on a PGWP is an ideal candidate for Nova Scotia employers. Unlike other Work Permit programs, in order to hire these candidates, the employer does not need to advertise the position or prove that they were not able to find a qualified Canadian or Permanent Resident to do the job.
In fact, the employer need not have any involvement in the immigration process at all before hiring these candidates. There is no extra effort involved in hiring a candidate on a PGWP than hiring a Canadian candidate.
There are several reasons why hiring international students is a win-win both for Nova Scotia employers and for international students. International students may have diverse experiences and connections in other parts of the world which could help grow and expand a business in Nova Scotia, particularly one interested in exporting.
In this increasingly globalized economy, having employees who may speak a different language, are familiar with other cultural norms and have diverse connections worldwide can be a real advantage.
For international students who wish to remain in Canada permanently, gaining skilled work experience in Nova Scotia opens an easy route to Permanent Residence.
Once an international graduate has one year of full-time, skilled work experience in Nova Scotia, he or she is eligible to apply for Permanent Residence through the Nova Scotia Nominee Program stream called Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry.
This immigration stream, as opposed to others, is painless for the employer. The employer’s only role is to provide a letter confirming the length of employment, job title, job duties, number of hours per week and salary of the employee.
By hiring international students, employers have access to markets they might otherwise never have an opportunity to tap into — and international students have access to a route toward Permanent Residence which is straightforward and simple compared to most other routes.
If Nova Scotia is committed to growing our immigration numbers and making the province welcoming to newcomers, hiring international students is a great way to accomplish this goal.
Suzanne Rix is a Partner with Cox & Palmer’s Halifax office. She was called to the Nova Scotia Bar in 1998. Suzanne assists clients with all types of Work Permit Applications, Permanent Residence Applications and Canadian Citizenship Applications. She provides services in English and German and is an Executive Member of the Canadian Bar Association National Immigration Law Section. She is also the Honorary Consul for the Federal Republic of Germany for the Maritime Provinces.
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