Mr. Speaker, insofar as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is concerned, the 2021 post-graduation work permit, or PGWP, public policy facilitated access to 18-month open work permits, or OWP, to foreign nationals who had a PGWP expiring between January 20, 2020, and November 27, 2021. Its objective was to provide PGWP holders with additional time to gain Canadian work experience, given the volatility of the labour market caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of September 2022, 22,940 open work permits of 18 months in duration were issued under this facilitative measure. Of these, as of September 2022, just over 70%, or 16,305, have since been admitted to Canada as permanent residents. The remainder may have already transitioned to permanent residence since September 2022 or may choose to apply for permanent residence at a later date.
The 2022 PGWP public policy, which facilitates access to 18-month open work permits for those who have a PGWP expiring between September 20, 2021, and December 31, 2022, was conceived to give recent international graduates with expiring work permits an opportunity to stay in Canada longer, so that they can continue to gain work experience and have a better chance at qualifying for permanent residency.
As part of the mandate letter, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship is working on expanding pathways to permanent residence for international students through the express entry system.