Graduating from a Canadian educational institution does not entitle you to permanent residency, and every international student should know that. As a study permit applicant, you are required to provide sufficient proof that you will be returning home after your studies, and you must leave the country before your status document expires.
That being said, everyone under the CEC stream needs to calm down about points, timelines, LMIAs and PNs. There is so much panic going on right now over EE, and it's because the system isn't even 80 days old and there is no precedent to draw conclusions from. The EE was introduced in order to replace the "First come, first serve" model that governed the old system with a new ranking system that picks and offers the best candidate a "first crack" at immigration. There have been four draw from the EE pool as of today, and one of them was exclusive to CEC applicants. I have heard from many different resources that CEC applicants will have more privileges like this in comparison to the other two streams that enter the EE pool.
One thing to consider is that the CRS is not flawed at all, if anything it's very 'comprehensive' about the applicant's skill set *pun* Some people are making it sound like the government is handing out LMIAs and PNs like hot cakes to everyone but CEC applicants, that is not the case. Getting those immigration instruments is HARD. When I first calculated my CRS score I was devastated, I thought I would never get picked, but that's because I was underestimating my score and experience, and how it would compete with others under the CEC stream. I have graduated from a Canadian institution and have acquired 2 years of full-time, in-Canada working experience in NOC A. I have max scores on CELPIP, under 29 years of age and still my CRS score didn't crack the 450 mark. But once you start seeing the big picture, running scenarios, and researching the other two streams that enter the EE pool (FSW and FTP) I have concluded that I have a pretty good chance of getting an ITA through CEC, just have to wait and be patient. Considering of how the processing time for CEC was 13 months before EE was introduced, I have actually started to believe that applying through EE will be better and faster for me.
My advice is this: If you are and International Student considering coming to Canada, be warned that it's not a backdoor to PR status in Canada. To apply for permanent residence you must be found eligible under an immigration program; for international students, the Canadian Experience class is the way to go. But to become eligible for that, you must acquire solid, full-time work experience of at least one year in either NOC 0, A or B. Don't be fooled, finding a job isn't easy in the first place, and with a foreign last name, (more often than not) a foreign accent, and competing with eligible candidates that are actually Canadian, you got a tough road ahead. The second piece of advice I've got is to make sure you answer the "come to canada" tool correctly to be put in the CEC stream, and do that AS SOON as you are eligible and can back up what you are claiming on your EE profile.
Don't panic, and remember "it always looks impossible until it's done". Best of luck!
