Canadian immigration extends online services for foreign students
by Ranjan Chakraborty
Global Visas
08/04/2009
In a bid to continue to attract foreigners to study in Canada the Department of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism is expanding the services available online for foreign students.
Students can now apply for an extension to their student visas online. They can also apply for an off-campus work permit, following a successful pilot scheme that saw over 6,000 foreign students apply for these work permits online.
The service has been extended for use at over 200 educational institutions and students can now check if they are eligible for an extension online.
Canadian Immigration minister, Jason Kenney, says the move shows the governments commitment to encouraging people to move to Canada to study. We want Canada to be the destination of choice for international students, he says. Kenney added, our new e-services are yet another way our government is working towards attracting and retaining international students.
Kenney added that the new online services will make it easier for foreign students to apply to work in Canada and will, therefore also help them to settle in Canada. Our new e-Services will facilitate the application process, improve employment opportunities and contribute to long-term integration, he added.
