New Agreement Allows International Students
To Work Off-Campus

TORONTO, May/CNW/ - International students studying in Ontario will be able to apply for off-campus work permits beginning June 1, under a federal-provincial program launched last week.

"International students contribute an estimated $4 billion a year to the Canadian economy," said Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Mike Colle. "This agreement gives international students the opportunity to gain work experience while they study and share their knowledge of other parts of the world."

This agreement is the latest in a list of achievements the McGuinty government has made to help the internationally trained make the transition to the Ontario labour market. Other initiatives include:

Negotiating the first ever Canada-Ontario immigration agreement, which quadruples spending on language training and settlement over the next five years, from $819 per immigrant to $3,400 per immigrant.

Committing $20 million since 2003 in 35 bridge-training programs to help internationally trained professionals work in their field sooner.

Doubling the number of training and assessment positions for internationally trained medical graduates.

"The Ontario government is committed to helping Ontario employers maximize their growth by taking full advantage of the skills potential in this province," said Colle. "Ontario benefits from the talent and global experience that the internationally trained bring to our workforce."