Dear Mr Brown,

I would like to know whether attending a private college in Canada that is a Designated Learning Institution is acceptable. I have heard that some private school graduates will not be issued a postgraduate work permit.

— WS

Dear WS:

A Designated Learning Institution (DLI) is a school in Canada that a student must be accepted to before they can qualify for a study permit. Some DLIs are public schools, while others are private schools. Incidentally, all primary and secondary schools in Canada are automatically designated.

Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) Programme

A PGWP is a document issued by the Government of Canada to eligible foreign students, which allows the bearer to work legally in Canada after completing studies. The overall requirement is for a foreign student to graduate from an approved programme of study at an eligible post-secondary institution in Canada that is participating in the Post-Graduation Work Permit Programme.

It is important to note that not all DLIs will make a graduate eligible for a post graduate work permit. In other words, attending a DLI is sufficient to obtain a student permit, but may not be sufficient to obtain a PGWP.

In general, publicly funded DLIs make one eligible for a PGWP. However, only certain types of private schools will make one eligible for a PGWP.

Foreign students in Canada are eligible for a work permit for post-graduation employment only if they have engaged in full-time studies for at least eight months at:

1. A public post-secondary institution, such as a college, trade/technical school, university or CEGEP (in Quebec); or

2. A private post-secondary institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as public institutions; or

3. A private secondary or post-secondary institution (in Quebec) offering qualifying programmes of 900 hours or longer leading to a diplôme d’études professionnelles (DEP) or an attestation de spécialisation professionnelle (ASP); or

4. A Canadian private institution authorised by provincial statute to confer degrees but only if the student is enrolled in one of the programmes of study leading to a degree as authorised by the province and not in all programmes of study offered by the private institution.

Whether a private DLI makes one eligible for a PGWP is usually based on meeting the requirements of (2) and (4) stated above. I have seen PGWP applications rejected because of the type of private DLI. To make matters more complex, I know of cases in which one person actually obtained a PGWP, while another graduate from the same school and programme was denied the PGWP for being ineligible based on the type of private school.

There is nothing wrong with attending a private school per se. However, I have made the personal choice to only work for public schools to avoid any chance of an issue arising when my clients apply for a PGWP.

Please visit jamaica2canada.com for additional information on Canadian Permanent Residence programmes, including Express Entry, the Study and Work progamme, Visitor’s visas or Appeals, etc.

Antonn Brown, BA (Hons), LLB, MSc, RCIC, is an immigration counsel and an accredited Canadian education agent of JAMAICA2CANADA.COM — a Canadian immigration and education firm in Kingston. Send questions/comments to jamaica2canada@gmail.com.

Antonn Brown, BA (Hons), LLB, MSc, RCIC, is an immigration counsel and an accredited Canadian education agent of JAMAICA2CANADA.COM — a Canadian immigration and education firm in Kingston. Send questions/comments to jamaica2canada@gmail.com.