The Postsecondary Experience and Early Labour Market Outcomes of International Study Permit Holders

The number of temporary residents holding a postsecondary study permit in Canada has increased considerably in recent years. An increased inflow of international postsecondary students may result in more skilled labour being available to Canadian employers. However, this depends in part on how successful international students are in completing their programs and integrating into the labour market. This integration may require them to combine studies and work, as previous research has identified Canadian work experience as an important factor in determining the labour market success of immigrants (see Skuterud and Sui [2012] for a literature review). Some international students may decide to leave the country upon graduation and bring their newly obtained Canadian credentials with them to another country. The purpose of this study is to describe the postsecondary experience and early labour market outcomes of study permit holders.