News & Events - News Releases
Changes to Work Permit Program Mean Better
Opportunities for Foreign Graduates and for Canada
Vancouver, April 21, 2008 – In the wake of today’s welcome announcement of the Canadian Government’s changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program, the BC Chamber of Commerce reiterated its call for Bill C-50 to be passed.
“The Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration continues to prove its commitment to providing Canada with the skilled workers we need,” said John Winter, President and CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce. “These latest changes, which will make it easier and more attractive for international students to stay and build their lives in our country, are improvements which we should all get behind.”
Changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program will extend the period of the permit to three years, remove restrictions as to the type of employment, and dispense with the requirement for the individuals to already have a job offer in place. This will not only make it easier for international students who have graduated from Canadian institutions to gain valuable work experience, and eventually settle in Canada; it will also make Canada more competitive among OECD countries in attracting those students, and infuse Canada’s labour market with the Canadian-educated and experienced graduates it sorely needs.
“We applaud the government’s efforts to answer Canada’s labour needs,” continued Winter. “Immigration is inextricably tied to our economy, and although we trust that our focus will always include aiding people in need, the changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act are an essential shift in recognizing that tie. With these changes, we will move towards an Act that is crafted in fairness to immigrants and in fairness to Canada.”
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For more information contact:
John Winter
President and CEO
BC Chamber of Commerce
D 604.638.8110
C 604.376.3577
E jwinter@bcchamber.org