Immigration

By choosing to Study in Canada at the Post-secondary level as a Permanent Resident you can reap immense benefits.  It can advance your career and help to obtain the highly coveted work experience in Canada. You can also equip yourself to get employment in your chosen field particularly if you are struggling.

We will try to understand the advantages of studying in Canada as a Permanent Resident and how it can help you in advancing your career.

Stand out from the job market competition

Shomik Roy who immigrated to Canada in 2018 says that-

“As a nation, Canada is highly risk-averse and this is reflected in the hiring practices as well. My life became much easier by immigrating to Canada as a Permanent Resident and completing my education at the Schulich School of Business. It opened multiple avenues and people were highly receptive to connecting with me”.

The Canadian job market is quite competitive. You will have to get an edge over other candidates educated and trained internationally and add value to your resume. To achieve this you can learn an in-demand skill, enroll for a course, internship, or co-op program, and gain work experience. It is also required that you strengthen your domain knowledge with a comprehensive understanding of best practices locally and the culture.

You can also improve your marketability as a potential candidate and get the desired job and salary. For this, you can get local certification, enroll in membership of an industry association, enroll in a boot camp or bridging program, or pursue a course at a Canadian University.

Working and practicing locally in a regulated occupation

All occupations in Canada are categorized as Regulated and Non-regulated. Certification and /or Licensure is needed for working and practicing in regulated occupations like Nurses, Doctors, Engineers, Pharmacists, Project Managers, Lawyers, etc. So obtaining certification in Canada is a mandatory requirement for many workers.

Diverse industry governing bodies and associations in Canada offer certification courses. For determining if your profession is regulated you can either: 

·         Visit the CICIC – Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials website and enter your NOC – National Occupational Classification Code and Territory/Province; or

·         Visit the Canada Job Bank website and enter your NOC – Code and Territory/Province. The Occupation Trends webpage will display the lists of requirements like certifications, licensure, and skills required to work in the field.

Switch to a new role or career

Once you move to Canada as a PR and pursue studies, this can be a foundation for switching a career or to a new role in your domain. Based on your chosen industry, you can assess the local employment market to find the scope of particular professions to make informed decisions.

You can peruse the full-fledged programs offered by conventional Colleges and Universities or even opt for specialized boot camps for training yourself for the new role.

Local network-building opportunities

In Canada, networking is a way of life and vital for getting a role in your chosen field. The hidden job market is a fact in Canada. It refers to job openings filled with no public advertisements from the employer.

Experts report that nearly 60 to 80% of the jobs in Canada are posted online. This implies that it is highly crucial to build your network. Pursuing education in Canada can offer you several opportunities for building your local network within your field and industry. Also, faster adaptation is possible.

Lower tuition fees

Permanent Residents can pursue higher education in Canada at a lower tuition fee. In comparison with overseas students, the course fee for Permanent Residents is subsidized.

For instance, a full-time MBA Program at Toronto University for Permanent Residents was charged a tuition fee of CAD 92,540 for the academic year 2022. For overseas students, the fee was however CAD 127,930. In the case of British Columbia University, a full-time MBA Program for Permanent Residents has a tuition fee of CAD 49,418, and for overseas students, the fee is CAD 83,262. The difference in fees is quite huge.

Leverage government-offered student aid

While Permanent Residents are charged lesser tuition fees than overseas students, they are nevertheless required to spend a substantial amount. The Canadian Government provides loans and grants to part-time and full-time students.  

Usually, grants are not required to be repaid while loans have to be paid back. The aid amount that you are qualified to get varies based on many factors such as Territory or Province of residence, Tuition fees, and family income. Several dependents if any, living costs, and disability if applicable are also influencing factors.

For example, students in Ontario Province can apply for aid through OSAP – Ontario Student Assistance Program. Meanwhile, British Columbia offers aid through Student Aid BC.

The number of weeks that you can get aid as a student is subject to lifetime limits. It is inclusive of periods free of interest while in school. Interest begins to accumulate after reaching the lifetime limit.

Further, you must begin loan repayment 6 months after graduation or completing your studies. Students enrolled in full-time study programs cannot get student aid beyond 340 weeks or roughly 6.5 years. The solitary exclusion to this rule is:

·         Students registered in Doctoral programs can get student aid for 400 weeks or roughly 7.5 years

·         Students having permanent disability can get student aid for 520 weeks or roughly 10 years

So, pursuing education as a Permanent Resident in Canada offers diverse advantages that can make a huge difference to your career growth and advancement. The nation offers innumerable avenues for professional and personal success to immigrants. By opting to continue your studies after immigration you can achieve your career objectives easily while also adapting to the lifestyle and local job market in the nation. If you wish to Apply for Canada Study Visa or know more about the Canada Study Visa application process contact Study Overseas Counselors at Nationwide Visas.