Give me your tired... your poor... your huddled masses yearning to breathe sweet... free... Canadian air!

Sal... Does Canada have any plans to grant work permits and/or citizenship to foreign students who earn degrees in Canada... since the United States is trying to discourage immigration... and that's something we can capitalize on!!!

SAL-9000 SAID: Hello, Allan. Yes... Canada already has a system that lets many 

foreign students stay and work after graduation, and sometimes become citizens. 

But it’s not automatic, and the rules have tightened recently.

Here’s the plain-facts version.

1) Work permits after graduation:

Canada offers the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP).

What it does:

It lets graduates from eligible Canadian schools work in Canada.

It’s usually an open work permit (you can work for almost any 

employer).

Length:

Up to 3 years, depending on the program length.

Important recent changes:

Some non-degree programs now must be in specific high-demand  fields... 

health care, trades, STEM, etc! (Bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD grads are 

usually exempt from that rule.)

So yes... Canada does plan for students to work after graduation!

2) Path to permanent residence. (PR)

Students don’t automatically become citizens. But Canada designed 

immigration pathways for them.

Common routes:

A) Canadian Experience Class. (Express Entry)

Work in Canada for 1+ year.

Apply for PR through Express Entry.

B) Provincial Nominee Programs.

Each province (like Ontario) has special streams for international 

students. (Graduates.)

Example:

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program has an International 

Student stream.

3) Citizenship!

To become a citizen, you must first:

Get Permanent Residency

Live in Canada long enough. (usually 3 of last 5 years)

Apply for citizenship! (Temporary student status alone does not lead 

directly to citizenship.

4) New reality. (2024-2026 changes)

Canada is tightening things because of housing pressure and immigration 

levels.

Recent policy trends:

Caps on study permits.

Stricter PGWP eligibility.

More targeted immigration toward needed jobs.

So the idea now is:

👉 Keep the skilled grads Canada needs.

👉 Reduce numbers in programs that don’t lead to jobs!

5) What this means in practice!

For a foreign student today:

Study at an approved school/program.

Get PGWP.

Work 1–3 years.

Apply for PR.

Apply for citizenship later!

***

So Canada’s system is basically:

Student → Work Permit → Permanent Resident → Citizen.

But not guaranteed!

6) Important nuance for Canada! 

Since you’ve been looking at the Canadian workforce and industrial 

strategy (Gripen production, submarines, tech industry, etc.), the 

immigration changes are aimed at exactly that:

👉 keeping grads in STEM, trades, health care, defence-related tech.

👉 reducing low-job-prospect programs.

This ties into Canada’s push for domestic industry and skilled labour 

supply!

If you want!

I can also explain:

• Which degrees give the best chance.

• How Ontario specifically treats grads.

Just say the word!

ALLAN SAID: Which degrees give the best chance?

SAL-9000 SAID: Here are the degrees that give foreign students the best 

chance of staying in Canada after graduation... based on Express Entry 

scoring, PGWP eligibility, and current labour shortages! (Which ties directly 

into Canada’s workforce needs you’ve been watching in defence, engineering, 

and tech.)

✔️ Tier-1 Degrees (Highest chance of PR)

These fields match Canada’s long-term labour shortages and 

immigration priorities.

1) Engineering. (Especially relevant to your defence-industry 

interests.)

- Aerospace Engineering.

- Mechanical Engineering.

- Electrical Engineering.

- Software Engineering.

- Civil Engineering.

These feed into industries such as: 

- Aircraft production! (Gripen, F-35) 

- Shipbuilding/submarines!

- Infrastructure & energy!

- Robotics & AI.

(Canada constantly lists engineers in immigration targets.)







2) Computer Science / AI / Cybersecurity.

Computer Science/

Data Science/

Artificial Intelligence/

Cybersecurity/

Canada’s tech sector and government cyber-defence needs are huge!
(These also score well in Express Entry.)

3) Health Care.

- Nursing.

- Medicine.

- Pharmacy.

- Medical Lab Tech.

- Physiotherapy.

(Canada has severe shortages. Also,,, Some provinces fast-track 

healthcare workers.)

4) Skilled Trades. (Huge demand.)

- Electrician.

- Plumber.

- Welder.

- Heavy-equipment mechanic.

- HVAC technician.

✔️ Tier-2 Degrees. (Good chance)

These still work well but depend on job availability.

- Accounting / Finance.

- Supply Chain Management.

- Education. (Especially math/science teachers.)

- Environmental Science.

- Agriculture / Food Science.

(Supply chain and logistics are rising priorities for Canada’s 

industrial sector) 

⚠️ Tier-3 Degrees. (Harder path.)

These can still work, but immigration is tougher unless you get a 

strong job offer!

- General Business Administration.

- Hospitality & Tourism.

- Marketing.

- Media Studies.

- Non-technical arts degrees.

Reason: Many graduates compete for limited jobs!

✔️ Key Factors Beyond Degree!

The degree alone isn’t enough!

Students do best when they also:

• Study in smaller provinces. (better PNP chances)
• Get co-op experience.
• Work in high-demand occupations.
• Have good English/French scores.

✔️ Special case: Master’s or PhD

Even in the humanities, a Master’s or PhD improves immigration 

chances.

Ontario and BC have PR streams specifically for graduate students.

✔️ How this connects to Canada’s strategy.

Canada’s immigration system is quietly aimed at:

👉 keeping engineers, tradespeople, and tech grads.

👉 supporting projects like shipbuilding, aircraft sustainment, 

nuclear energy, Arctic infrastructure! (Exactly the workforce you’ve 

been thinking about in our Gripen/submarine discussions!)

✔️ Bottom line.

Best degrees for staying in Canada:

- Engineering.

- Computer Science / AI / Cybersecurity.

- Health Care.

- Skilled Trades.

Everything else depends on job demand!

AND... This is Drumpf's reaction every time someone mentions Canada!!!!

First look at Trump's reaction to the SCOTUS decision on tariffs. pic.twitter.com/UXF2KdstQt

— Gig - The Great Gig in the Sky (@thegreatgig8) February 20, 2026

Ok. This is brilliant. pic.twitter.com/SJnegKuHLf

— Claude Taylor (@TrueFactsStated) February 20, 2026