Online PR quiz not easy

Although there are many obstacles for international students to find relevant work in Canada after they graduate, there is also an obstacle for employers. It’s called the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

Many international post-secondary students who want permanent residency would be seeking to qualify under Immigration Canada’s Skilled Worker category.

This involves completing a pointsbased online questionnaire where an applicant is assessed points based on six factors of language skills, education, work experience, age, arranged employment and adaptability factors.

Only applicants with the highest points are invited to apply for permanent residency status.

A LMIA is a laborious application a company has to make to Immigration Canada to prove that there is no qualified Canadian available for the job. The employer must provide documentation as to why each Canadian interviewed was not qualified for the job.

A recent Statistics Canada study published in September states only a third of international students stay and work in Canada six years after graduating, possibly due to issues finding work.