With its active immigration policies, Canada welcomes thousands of new residents and temporary workers each year. For those interested in moving to Canada, there are various options available, whether you are contemplating making a permanent move or looking to base yourself temporarily in one of Canada’s fine provinces. With a reputation of having proactive and innovative promotion of its immigration policies, Canada remains an extremely popular destination for the relocation of individuals and families alike, providing for various entry alternatives including skilled workers, entrepreneurs and investors. However, students and recent graduates should be aware that Canada also actively seeks those who have recently graduated with high awards; an initiative termed the International Graduate Visa program.

The International Graduates visa, in its inception, was conceived as an effort to reduce the current and future education and skill shortages by providing an enticing option for foreign students with offers of jobs from Canadian employers. This program allows international graduates a secure and more rapidly progressing path to obtain their visa requirements for both temporary and permanent residency status. The program gives priority to those graduates who can demonstrate their ability to contribute to the Canadian economy for permanent residency, which is another attractive feature of the initiative. The skills required vary depending on the provinces involved and the specific skill gaps that they require to be addressed.

The program is available in the following provinces, presented in alphabetical order: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. The specific requirements should be discussed with a professional immigration consultant who has much experience in Canadian Immigration procedures and applications to ensure that your submission for acceptance to the program progresses seamlessly.

The basic criteria for all provinces include the requirement of completing a post-secondary qualification, being obtained from an educational institute within the region, along with an offer of employment that relates to their field of expertise. Variations between the provinces for acceptance within the program include the necessity to have been employed with the same employer offering the full time position for a period of between 3-6 months before the application is filed. Additionally, some of the provinces will only accept qualifications from institutions that they have deemed eligible, while some place specific restrictions of the specialities and the grades one must have attained.

With the continual expansion of the Canadian economy, the opportunities for international graduates to apply for permanent residency following an offer of permanent employment will expand. The growing skill gap that is required to be filled will be done so by suitably skilled and qualified international workers, with a growing proportion coming from the International Graduates Visa program. Be sure to visit your specialist Canadian immigration consultant to ensure that you access all the information required for a successful application.