Changes to the Post Graduate work permit program

According to the announcement made on April 21, 2008 (available @ link ), there are some changes to the Post Graduate work permit program (details @ link). A recent seminar highlighted some points which are of concern to the Queen's MBA (or any similar 1 yr program) international students.

Before	Now
Job Offer required for applying for work permit	Job Offer NOT required for applying for work permit
Application for work permit to be submitted within 90 days of course completion	--No change/Same as previous--
Duration of work permit = 1 calendar year	--No change/Same as previous--
Work Permit has an employer's name on it	Work permit DOES NOT have any employer's name
While on Post Graduate Work Permit, if a person changes a job, he needs a new work permit (new work permit might/might not be post graduate work permit)	Person can change job. No new work permit required
At the time of application of work permit, student's permit should be valid	--No change/Same as previous--
Health insurance coverage under Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP)	No health insurance coverage
Passport should be valid till the date of work permit sought. Otherwise, work permit will be only till the validity of passport. However work permit can be extended (same type of work permit) after getting passport renewal for the remaining duration	--No change/Same as previous--
Labour Market Opinion (LMO) or HRSDC approval not required	--No change/Same as previous--
The job has to be in relation to the field of study	It can be ANY job--job need NOT be in relation to field of study

 Some questions related to the above changes

Q: What if my student's visa/permit expires before my 90 days limit?
A: The student's visa/permit can be renewed to get benefit of full 90 days period

Q: What is meant by course completion?
A: For courses requiring a thesis submission, the date of submission of revised thesis is considered as the course completion date. For courses requiring exams, the date of availability of the course's final total marks on the mark-sheet is taken as the course completion certificate.

Q: Can I apply when I am outside Canada to inside Canada office?
A: Not recommended. Someone else can send your completed application from inside Canada to an office inside Canada. A Canadian address is required on the form

Q: When does the 1 year period start?
A: The date of issue of the work permit marks the start of the 1 year work permit period.

Q: What if I go on a vacation during this 1 year period?
A: You are "eating into" your 1 year work permit period.

Q: What after my Post-Graduate work permit expires?
A: A normal work permit has to be applied. The company applies for it as it has to get a LMO approval. It is suggested that the company mentions on its work permit application form (submitted on behalf of the person) that the person was originally hired as a part of post-graduate work permit program.
Note: LMO approval takes about 6-8 months. So start the process through your employer taking this time into consideration...i.e. apply about 6-8 months before your post graduate work permit expires.

Q: What are the changes in the health insurance?
A: Earlier work permits carried a name of employer and the employees were covered under Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) {for companies in Ontario}. Now since the work permit carries no name of employer, the work permit holder has to get the insurance himself. This might require him to buy from private companies. There is a provision of extension of his University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP) till some months in future.
Note: More details are awaited on this point.

Q: I am already on a Post Graduate work permit. Can I still take benefit of these changes?
A: Yes. The work permit can be changes accordingly.

Q: What all is required for getting a work permit?
A: Details at link

Note: Social Insurance Number (SIN) is required for getting a salary. Once you get a work permit, the same can be obtained within few days.

Useful Link: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/index.asp

Note: At the time of this blog post, the details of the new policy were not updated on the CIC web-site.

Disclaimer: The blog post author takes no responsibility for the correctness of the information posted here. The information can change or maybe applicable in a different manner for different people. Complete disclaimer at bottom of blog