Canada has opened up fast-track immigration for international students to enable them work three years after graduation.

Named as ‘The Canadian Post-Graduation Work Permit Program’, the move by Canada is being seen as a great offer by international students because it will unfold tremendous employment opportunities for them. Hence, the offer is attracting lots of applications.

Prior to the introduction of this program, students from foreign countries could work on campus. However, the employers did not seem to be interested in hiring students for various co-op programs.

The new program will increase recruitment competitiveness of Canada, stated an international student adviser at Wilfred Laurier University, Waterloo (Ontario), Anna Done Choudhury. “This has definitely made Canada more competitive,” she affirmed.

Choudhury, who has also taught immigration studies to international students, added, that the move “has closed the gap between international students and Canada wanting qualified immigrants.” Earlier, the students wishing to increase their eligibility for getting citizenship had to visit US and return to Canada for applying.

The criteria for becoming a citizen of Canada is based on a points system and a university degree without any post graduation work earned only few points. However, the introduction of the new post-graduation work permit program will include those students who have worked in the post-graduation period.

No wonder, a large number of international students are opting to study in Canada because of this new program, revealed the 2009 Survey of International Students, which was released in Toronto last week at the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) conference.

Jennifer Humphries, Vice-President of CBIE, said that this program is being seen by students as a route for career advancement for their education.

The program will not only enable students gain employment after completion of their graduation studies but also provide them with increased employment opportunities even during their studies, stated Lise Pederson, a colleague of Choudhury.

By introducing such program, Canada joins the list of countries including Australia and England who already have a program that allows international students to work for up to three years after finishing their graduation.