New open work permit launched in Canada

A new open work permit has been introduced in Canada that enables certain economic class applicants to maintain their status and continue working in the country while they wait for a final decision on their permanent residence application.  This will make the country’s immigration system faster and more flexible and cut red tape for the skilled immigrants Canada’s economy needs to grow and thrive, according to Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.

‘The new Bridging Open Work Permit provides those who are transitioning to permanent residency with better opportunities to integrate into Canada’s labour market to the benefit of our economy and all Canadians,’ he said. The bridging work permit is available immediately and is valid for one year from the date of issuance. Qualifying foreign nationals who have submitted an application for permanent residence under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) or the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) may be considered for an open work permit. Applicants must already be in Canada on a valid work permit that is about to expire and must have received confirmation from CIC that their permanent resident application is eligible.

Previously, applicants who were awaiting a decision on their permanent residence application could find their temporary work permits expiring before their application was processed. As a result, these individuals would no longer have been authorised to work in Canada unless their employer applied for and received a Labour Market Opinion from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) and the applicant then applied for an extension of status.  Open work permits are already available for other in Canada immigration streams, such as live-in caregivers, spouses or common law partners. Kenney said that this improvement will result in consistent treatment for other applicants already in Canada.

Many Indians refused study visa

ONE in every two offshore Indians wanting to join their compatriots on an Australian university campus is rebuffed.

Just over 50 per cent of higher education visa applications out of India were successful in 2011-12, according to a new breakdown of official data.

This breakdown appears in the latest briefing note from the Australian Council for Educational Research.

The main theme of that note is the role of Indian students in the downturn affecting Australia's education export industry after 2007-08.

However, offshore grants of higher education visas ex-India grew 71 per cent to 3994 in 2011-12 although the absolute number remains well below the 2007-08 peak.

ACER says there were 7,716 offshore higher education applications from India in the last financial year, "suggesting a renewed demand".

The offer of two years' work rights after graduation with an Australian bachelor's degree is reported to be especially attractive in the Indian market.

Phil Honeywood, executive director of the International Education Association of Australia, said it had taken agents and would-be students in India some time to get to grips with the post-Knight changes to visa regulations.

But there were "positive signs" that Australian higher education was once again becoming attractive in the Indian market.

"However, the VET market is virtually non-existent as Indian students want the option of post-study work rights that only currently come with higher education enrolment," he said.

"As DIAC (the immigration department) have indicated a clear preference in recent years for students originating from southern India specifically, it would be interesting to drill down into this data and see what regions in India are now scoring the highest student visa grant rates."

The effect on the Indian higher education market of the new genuine temporary entrant test, applied since November last year, is not clear. The decline in grant rates, charted by ACER, began well before this test.

(Grant rates for the offshore Chinese market are much higher. In 2010-11, 97 per cent of offshore applications for higher education visas ex-China were successful.)

The ACER note shows a dramatic rise in the number of Indian students opting for higher education in Canada, where the migration incentives are stronger.

Whether or not the return of Indian students to Australia's universities is sustainable will be clearer when the immigration department releases visa statistics for the December quarter this year.

Source: The Australian

Proposed Changes Would Strengthen Canada's International Student Program

New measures to prevent fraud in the International Student Program (ISP) were proposed today by Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.

"Attracting the best and brightest young minds from around the world is key to the continued success of Canada's economy and long-term prosperity," said Minister Kenney. "But there are too many stories of international students who pay a lot of money and leave their families back home to study in Canada, only to find out they have been misled. These changes will help us better protect international students and the reputation of Canada's post-secondary education system by making sure that international students are coming to quality institutions that comply with basic standards of accountability."

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is proposing regulatory changes to limit study permits to students attending institutions designated by provinces and territories. The proposed changes would address concerns that some institutions are providing poor-quality programs or facilitating, knowingly or not, the entry of foreign nationals to Canada for purposes other than study.

Under the proposed amendments, CIC would work with provinces and territories - which are constitutionally responsible for education - to develop a framework to designate educational institutions that will be permitted to host international students. If a school is not designated, it would be able to continue offering programs of six months or less to foreign nationals in Canada on regular visitor visas. Visitors who wish to enroll in short-term courses do not currently require a study permit, and this would continue to be the case.

Eligible international students attending designated institutions would also be able to work part-time off-campus, without having to apply for a separate work permit. This new flexibility would contribute to Canada's appeal in attracting the best and brightest students from around the globe.

Furthermore, to help eliminate abuse of student visas, changes are being made to ensure that the primary intent of an international student in Canada is to study. Currently, foreign nationals are able to apply to any Canadian school or business offering training in Canada and need only demonstrate an intent to study - there is currently no requirement for them to actually pursue studies once in Canada and no way of tracking whether they do. These changes would provide CIC the authority to request evidence from study permit holders to verify their compliance with study permit conditions. International students would be removed from Canada if they fail to meet new requirements.

The proposed changes respond to findings from a 2011 evaluation of the International Student Program, which concluded that gaps in the program leave it open to abuse and fraud. Similar reforms have already been implemented by Canada's key competitor countries for international students. These changes will strengthen Canada's position as a leader in international education.

"By improving the International Student Program, we are strengthening Canada's reputation as a destination of choice for international students," said Minister Kenney. "In addition to the economic impact, international student graduates are a great source of potential permanent immigrants. For those who choose to stay in Canada, their Canadian education and their language skills are important factors for success."

"International students are vital to the global experience offered on university campuses across Canada," said Paul Davidson, president of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). "They enrich our institutions with their cultures, languages and unique perspectives and have a positive economic impact on communities coast to coast. We support efforts to strengthen Canada's reputation as a destination of choice for students around the world."

"The Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) and CIC collaborate to maintain the integrity of Canada as a destination of choice for international students," said James Knight, President and CEO of the ACCC. "Canada's 140 public colleges and institutes are renowned for the quality of their programs and services for international students. We welcome measures to preserve the excellence of the Canadian brand."

As part of the consultative process, the proposed changes were posted today in the Canada Gazette for a 45-day public comment period.

Alexis Pavlich
Minister's Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-954-1064

Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca

International students first victims of embassy closure

The first people affected by the Canadian government's decision to close the Iranian embassy in Ottawa were Iranian international students who had come to the capital to renew their visas.

Milling around outside the gated building, a handful of students said there had been no guidance from inside, except for a hastily written sign that said in Farsi, "According to the government of Canada, the Embassy is closed and there is no consular services for Iranians until further notice."

A woman who was inside the embassy Friday morning and preferred not to give her name said: "It's very chaotic inside ... they don't know what to do because ... they have to wrap up everything so it's kind of disappointing for them. They're kind of victims of all the politics and things and they were doing their job and now they have to leave."

"It's just going to make everything harder - just translating my documents, renewing my passport and this stuff," said a 27-year-old mechanical engineering student from the University of Ottawa who moved from Tehran eight years ago and preferred not to give his name. "I'm just a student. I don't want to get involved in all these politics between two countries. It's affecting regular people who don't have anything to do with it."

In Vancouver, PhD computing science student Ouldooz Baghban Kar-imi received her passport Friday morning after applying for renewal last week.

"I don't know what would happen if I'd applied just one or two days later," the Simon Fraser University student said.
"But this is one of the complications that it would introduce to lots of lives of students."

Karimi's husband, an engineering graduate student, had to go through the embassy to renew his exemption from military service last month. Both needed embassy confirmation of student status earlier this year.

"I think it will make life for students and permanent residents who still have to do any paper work for Iran a lot harder. And also it scares me very much," she said. "All of the ties with the outside world are being cut for the Iranian people. I am really scared for my family."

Amir, a UBC engineering student and dual citizen of Iran and Canada, said he uses the embassy three times a year.
"Passport renewals, document notarizing. ... The majority of my issues have to do with getting exemption from military service. I can't go back to Iran if I don't have that."

The university Persian Club member, who preferred not to give his last name, worried the suspended relations would affect his parents in Iran even more.

According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 3,247 international students from Iran were studying at Canadian universities in 2010 (the most recent statistics available).

In the United States, Iranian embassy business is conducted through the embassy of Pakistan. There is no word yet where Iranian-Canadians can expect to get consular services in Canada.

Source: The Vancouver Sun

Canada High Commission, New Delhi introduces Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC)

Canada Student Partners Program (SPP) has been quite successful in India compared to China. To maintain the success of SPP in India, the Canadian High Commission, New Delhi has introduced a major change in visa filing to ensure that it attracts serious and sincere students only. From now onwards, student has to compulsorily pay one year tuition fee instead of one semester only. This means that the investment for filing of student visa has doubled in terms of tuition fee. Alongwith this the students needs to show the evidence of purchase of a special Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) from a participating Canadian financial institution, in the amount of $10,000 CAD to cover living expenses for the first year in Canada. As an alternate option, the student can fulfill the financial requirement by submitting a copy of the receipt for the first year’s tuition fee AND a copy of an Educational Loan from an Indian Chartered Bank equivalent to $10 000 CAD.

According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada guidelines, the student will require approximately $10,000 CAD per year, not including tuition fees, to cover your living expenses. This requirement is fulfilled through the purchase of a participating GIC, and evidence that the student has paid tuition fee.

At present, Scotia bank is the only participating Canadian financial institution. For more information, contact Scotia bank or their affiliate, Kotak Mahindra Bank, at:

Scotia bank, Mumbai Branch
Ground Floor, Mittal Tower, ‘B’ Wing, Nariman Point,
Mumbai 400 021
Tel: 91-22-66364200

Kotak Mahindra Bank, Chandigarh Branch, Sector 9
S.C.O. 153-154-155, Sector 9 – C, Madhya Marg,
Chandigarh – 160 017
Tel: (0172) 5008600

Kotak Mahindra Bank, Chandigarh Branch, Sector 35
Ground Floor, Sco-335-336, Sector-35 B
Chandigarh 160 035
Tel: (0172) 4051300/19

Kotak Mahindra Bank, Prahlad Nagar
Bungalow 1, Paras-II, Nr. Auda Garden, Prahladnagar,
Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380 015
Tel : (079) 40056086

Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bangalore – Kormangala
The Pinnacle, Ground Floor, No. 8, 5th Block, Koramangala
Bengaluru, Karnataka – 560 095
Tel: (080) 66330200

Kotak Mahindra Bank, Rajouri Garden
J-13/65, Rajouri Garden,
New Delhi – 110 027
Tel : (011) 45656278

You may ask more questions on this blog or visit our website for updated information. 

COMPARE PR OPPORTUNITIES-INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS CANADA

COMPARE PR OPPORTUNITIES-INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Name of the Province	PR Opportunities
MANITOBA	Minimum 8 months of study and 6 months of work are required.
ONTARIO	Masters/PHD from a public funded university is required.
SASKATCHEWAN	If studied in Saskatchewan minimum 8 months of study +24 weeks work is required. If studied outside Saskatchewan minimum 12 months of study (Diploma/Adv. Diploma) +48 weeks work.
BRITISH COLUMBIA	Minimum 12 months of study and full time job letter is required.
ALBERTA	Minimum 12 months of study and full time job letter is required.
NEWFOUNDLAND &  LABRADOR	Minimum 2 years study and a full time job offer is required.
NEW BRUNSWICK	Minimum 2 years full time study and a job offer.
NOVA SCOTIA	Minimum 1 year of study and a full time job offer with 3 consecutive months of work.
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND	Full time study within the past 2 years and minimum 6 months’ work.
YUKON	Graduated no more than 12 months and minimum 6 months of work.

Canada Calling

Easy PR rules and jobs attracts Indian students to British Columbia,Saskatchewan and Manitoba 

Earlier,Indian students used to choose Toronto in Canada because of the job opportunities and the Indian community stronghold in this city.However,now Indian students are breaking grounds and heading to colleges in British Columbia,Saskatchewan,Manitoba and some very cold provinces.Sanjay Laul,President and Founder of Kampus Landing,a study abroad consulting organisation with offices in USA,Canada and India says,"The quality of education is very good in all Canadian community colleges and one should not rush just to Toronto.There are many advantages of studying at provinces in British Columbia,Saskatchewan and Manitoba.While the students' Canada PR applications are fast tracked if filed under Provincial Nominee Program,Manitoba and Saskatchewan require minimum 8 months of study and British Columbia requires 12 months of study at Diploma or higher level to file for PR under Provincial Nominee Programs in comparison to Ontario which requires a student to complete a Masters or a PhD to file under its PNP.Most of the Indian students who complete their Diploma or Post Graduate Diploma from a community college in Toronto relocate to Saskatchewan to become eligible for PR.The Saskatchewan Graduate Retention Program (GRP) provides eligible graduates with a refundable income tax credit to rebate,over seven years,upto $20,000 of tuition fees they have paid if they move to or live in Saskatchewan."

Regarding mature students applying under SPP,Sanjay Laul says,"Canada welcomes mature students' applications.One can file at the age of 35 but should have a genuine reason to study at this age in Canada.If the mature student is not able to provide ample evidence,the application is more likely to be rejected.We have had several applications between 30 and 35 which have successfully received Canada student visas under SPP and are presently studying in Canada."

On the trend of hiring a consultant for filing a study permit,Sanjay Laul says,"The Canadian Government encourages the use of licensed consultants only.So,the students and parents need to check whether the consultant is a member of Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council - ICCRC or not.It is then only that the consultant can represent the student application at CIC."

    

US Exim Bank ready to extend education loans to Indian students

The US Exim Bank is willing to give education loans to Indian students who want to study in the US, the Chairman and President of the Bank, Mr Fred Hochberg, said today.

Answering a question raised by Dr Sankaran Raghunathan, Dean, The National Management School, in an interactive session organised here by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, Mr Hochberg said that the US Exim Bank has been “actively exploring this”. However, he noted that the bank would need to “work with an entity” as it could not give loans to individual students.

Mr Hochberg also immediately assigned an official of the US Exim Bank to pursue the matter with Dr Raghunathan.

Later, in a chat with Business Line, Dr Raghunathan said that there are some 105,000 Indian students in the US, the second highest number after China. He estimates the total annual spending of all the students at $2 billion. A fourth of the students are doing undergraduate programmes, where usually, they have to pay out of their pockets. Availability of Exim loans will help raise the number of undergraduate students from India. Students who borrow from Indian banks pay at least 12 per cent as interest and also have to offer collateral. “If we are able to get the Exim Bank to provide the loans, the interest rate will be as low as 4.5 per cent and not higher than 6 per cent with a longer repayment period,” says Dr Raghunathan. This in turn will enable more people to go to the US for education (instead of other countries) and there will be a beneficial impact on the US economy, he says.

INDIA, A FOCUS COUNTRY

Mr Hochberg said that India was a big market for the US Exim Bank, whose mandate is to support exports out of the US with an objective of creating jobs in the US.

He said that the bank's exposure to India is second only to Mexico (“a country with which we share a 2,000-km border”). But if the current trend of lending continues, India could overtake Mexico in terms of the bank's exposure, he said. The bank has given loans worth $7 billion to India, compared with $8.5 billion to Mexico. “I have not visited any country more than India (as the head of the US Exim Bank),” Mr Hochberg said.

Source:  Business Line