Photo by: Bogdan Krupin, Ukrainian photographer, currently living in Nova Scotia, Canada .
Foreign nationals holding valid Canadian work permits can now take courses or programs lasting six months or less without obtaining a study permit, under a temporary federal policy that took effect September 4.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced the measure on September 9, saying it would help foreign workers upgrade their skills and support public services, home-building and other major projects in Canada. The policy is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2027.
Foreign nationals could already study without a permit in programs lasting six months or less, but the program generally had to be completed during the period of stay authorized when they entered Canada. The new policy removes that restriction for people holding valid work permits.
The authorization lasts for six months or until the worker’s permit expires, whichever comes first. It does not extend a worker’s legal status, provide free education or exempt them from tuition fees.
Justin Foot, an immigration consultant and owner of Just Right Immigration, said the policy principally benefits people who have extended their status or become workers from inside Canada.
“The words ‘authorized upon entry’ are really important,” Foot explained. “When you renew, extend or change your status from within Canada, you are not entering Canada again.”
One group likely to benefit is international students who recently graduated and received Post-Graduation Work Permits.
Foot explained that a graduate may enter Canada as a student, complete a program and then obtain a work permit from inside the country. Without the new policy, that worker could lose access to the usual six-month study exemption because their current period of authorized stay was not granted when they entered Canada.
Foot said work-permit holders employed in skilled trades could make particular use of the policy, because employers frequently ask workers to complete short upgrading courses.
“An employer might say, ‘We want you to learn this particular machine. It is a two-month course, 15 hours a week,’” Foot said.
“Before this policy, the worker might have had to say no because it was technically study. Now they can say yes, improve their skills and potentially qualify for better jobs or promotions.”
Foot, who works with manufacturers, said possible examples include forklift training, learning to operate an overhead crane or learning a particular type of welding. Such courses may involve more than a one-day training session and can require classroom instruction.
IRCC has also identified healthcare as one of the sectors the policy is intended to support. In an email to U Multicultural, the department said eligible workers may study in any discipline and that participation in the policy is not capped.
The policy does not restrict workers to part-time study. However, IRCC warns that work experience gained while studying full-time will not count toward eligibility for the Canadian Experience Class or toward Canadian-work-experience points under the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System.
Foot therefore advised workers to ask an institution whether it will classify their particular course as full-time or part-time before enrolling.
“Somebody may take a two-month upgrading course and then receive a letter stating it was full time,” Foot explained. “That could create a problem when they try to claim the work experience they gained during that period, because work experience gained while studying full time generally cannot be claimed for the Canadian Experience Class.”
The short course itself will also not ordinarily earn the additional CRS points available for Canadian education. Those points generally require an eligible Canadian credential and at least eight months of full-time study or training and physical presence in Canada, longer than the maximum period permitted under this policy.
IRCC said courses taken under the policy do not have to be offered by designated learning institutions. However, training completed at a non-DLI does not qualify for Canadian-education points, and attending a DLI alone does not guarantee that a course will meet the other requirements for those points.
Foot advised workers to research a course provider and speak with their employer before enrolling to determine whether the employer or a professional regulator would recognize the resulting training or credential.
French-language training is another possible use of the policy. Although completing a language course does not itself generate Express Entry language points, improving one’s French and obtaining qualifying results on an approved language test can improve an immigration candidate’s CRS score.
“French is extremely important for immigration now. Reaching a certain level in French can open many opportunities,” Foot said.
He also cautioned workers to carefully investigate French-language programs before paying for them.
“A lot of French schools are appearing, and there may be bad actors looking to capitalize on people who are desperate to learn French quickly so they can remain in Canada or qualify for permanent residence.”
IRCC accepts results from two French-language tests for Express Entry: TEF Canada, or the Test d’évaluation de français, and TCF Canada, or the Test de connaissance du français. In Winnipeg, Alliance Française du Manitoba administers both tests and offers access to online preparation materials.
Finally, Foot advised work-permit holders using the policy to carefully document their studies, particularly if they may later apply for permanent residence.
“Document, document, document. Keep the dates, when you started, when you completed the course, what credential you received and why you took it. It is the kind of administrative work nobody wants to do, but everybody should do it.”
Graham McDonald, U Multicultural Journalism and Media Arts Centre