Dear Mr Brown,

I am attending a private school in Toronto, Canada, and I recently discovered that attending the school will not assist me with remaining in Canada. I was told by a friend that I should have attended a public school and she referred me to you.

I would like to switch to Centennial College to study something at the graduate level in the insurance field. I am currently in Jamaica until December as I make the transition.

— PA

Dear PA:

I wrote an article on this topic a few months ago, but I have encountered more and more students with this problem, so I have decided to address your question in a public forum.

A Designated Learning Institution (DLI) is a school in Canada that a student must be accepted at before they can qualify for a study permit. Some DLIs are public schools, while others are private schools.

PostGraduate 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 postgraduate 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 a:

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 before.

Insurance management

Centennial College has a new Graduate Certificate Insurance Management programme which deals with claims investigation, claims adjusting and claims processing within the property and casualty insurance sector.

The programme comprises a strong educational base in various aspects of insurance and prepares graduates to function effectively in the insurance industry, leading to supervisory and management positions in business, government and service organisations. However, the only intake for the programme is in September.

The programme also provides a pathway to the Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) designation. Graduates are expected to embark on the following careers:

• Claims adjusters;

• Examiners;

• Investigators;

• Salespersons;

• Insurance underwriters.

Centennial College Seminar

Centennial is a popular destination with almost 300 students from Jamaica currently enrolled. That said, I would like to invite you to the Centennial College seminar I will be hosting, which includes general information and on-the-spot admissions for the public at the Knutsford Court Hotel tomorrow at 7:00 pm.

The seminar is free and you will be able to ask the representative from the school about your programme of interest. I will also discuss general matters pertaining to study permits, work permits and permanent residence as it relates to attending Centennial College.

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 . Please note: Unauthorised Canadian Immigration or Employment Consultants should be reported to the police.