How Many International Students Are Transitioned To PR In 2023?

2023 proved to be another landmark year for Canadian immigration. Here’s how many international students are transitioned to PR in 2023.

The increasing immigration levels in Canada continue to support the nation’s demographic & labor market needs. In addition, one of the biggest groups of permanent residents Canada welcomes each year are former international students who come to study in Canada & are offered the opportunity to build eligibility for Canadian PR. The nation’s immigration opportunities are one of the key reasons that Canada has remained one of the most popular international student destinations today. 

How Many International Students Are Transitioned To PR In 2023?    

Many International Students Are Transitioned To PR In 2023. 

As of the most recent IRCC data from November 2023, around 62,410 international students became permanent residents of Canada. This number represented an increase of 8,670 from the 52,740 international graduates who became international students in 2022. 

Note: The above figures represent students who pursued permanent residence through the pathway of building eligibility via work experience post-graduation. 

Some international students obtained PR directly after graduation. Of this group of international students, 23,150 obtain PRs in 2023. 

What Is The Common Pathway For International Students To Obtain PR? 

Unlike many popular international student destinations, Canada has certain pathways for international graduates. This is the most common path for most international students, which represents the 62,410 individuals who obtained PR status last year. 

Suppose an international student has completed a two-year college course in civil engineering. Since the applicant’s college is a DLI, he can apply for a PGWP. 

Upon obtaining the PGWP, the applicant becomes eligible to work for most employers in Canada. Well, the amount of time duration of an applicant’s program is equal to the PGWP time he/ she obtains. 

Note: Most economic immigration programs require a minimum of one year of eligible, full-time work experience. Moreover, PGWPs are issued for the length of an applicant’s study period with a maximum of three years of validity. 

Now, as far as this above example is concerned, the applicant has to apply for the CEC immigration pathway via the Express Entry management system. Candidates must acquire relevant work experience & this work experience must be in the same NOC TEER level. Moreover, the work experience must amount to 1,560 hours of work. 

After the work experience is acquired, the last step is to take the language test before submitting the Express Entry profile. Depending upon the TEER level of the job, an applicant will need a score equivalent to a CLB of 7 or 5 in all four skills, i.e., reading, writing, listening, & speaking in either English or French. 

Once an applicant obtains an eligible score, they might finally enter their profile in the Express Entry pool. Moreover, applicants will obtain an ITA for PR if their profile is selected. From here, they will have to submit additional documents in support of their PR application within 60 days of obtaining ITA. 

Assuming that the applicant has passed through all necessary checks & is eligible, then their PR application will be processed by IRCC & they will obtain a COPR document confirming his new status in the nation. From here, they are free to settle permanently in Canada.