It used to be that when a student graduated, they had to get a job offer in a field related to their study and then apply for a work permit that would be good for one to two years, depending on where they were in the country. And that's often difficult because, quite often, people take a generic university program, for example, English or social sciences. They might be offered a job in the insurance industry that does not directly relate to their field of study. They wouldn't have been allowed to accept that under the old rules. Now we've expanded the program so they don't have to get a job in just their field of study; they can get it anywhere. First they get the work permit, then they get the job, and they can stay for up to three years.
On May 28th, 2008. See this statement in context.