Work permit without finishing Canadian degree

[calledieu]

I'm an international student from Australia, currently in my 4th and final year of a Bachelor's degree in animation at an Ontario college, but I've been caught up in the college strike that's been happening for the past 4 weeks. I'm worried that the strike will cause this year to be lost and push back my scheduled graduation next year, and I'd like to finish my degree but I'm not sure I'll be able to afford another term of schooling to make up for the strike; it would cost me $13k for another semester, as we won't be refunded for this lost time.

If I were to drop out of my degree before graduation, I wouldn't be eligible for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) that I would get if I finished my degree.

How difficult would it be to get a work permit to work in Canada in this case? Would I need to leave the country before applying?

In case it's relevant, I've completed an (unrelated) Bachelor degree at an Australian university prior to coming to Canada, and have been doing freelancing in illustration for 6+ years. I also completed a full time, 4-month co-op placement for my Canadian degree this past summer.

Thanks.

 

[scylla]

Correct - you won't be eligible for a PGWP if you don't complete your degree.

Obtaining a close work permit tends to be extremely difficult. You have to secure a full time job offer first and then the employer must obtain an approved LMIA. This is a long (many months) and expensive process with no guarantee of approval at the end. Most employers aren't willing to go through the process.

Assuming you are an Australian passport holder and are of the right age, you should look into the IEC/Working Holiday Visa program as a possibly option.