OTTAWA-- The Canadian Federation of Students welcomes the government's announcement of changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program.

"These changes address a key recommendation of the Canadian Federation of Students for improving the program's flexibility," said Brent Farrington, National Deputy Chairperson of the Canadian Federations of Students.

Effective immediately, international students will be able to obtain an open work permit under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program, with no restrictions on the type of employment and no requirement for a job offer. In addition, the duration of the work permit has been extended to three years across the country. Previously, the program only allowed international students to work for one or two years, depending on the location.

"The changes to the program will allow international students greatly increased flexibility, allowing graduates more time to find jobs that are right for them," said Farrington. "When coupled with new Citizenship and Immigration programs, the changes will make it easier for international students to immigrate upon graduation."The Post-Graduation Work Permit Program allows students who have graduated from an eligible program at a post-secondary institution to gain valuable Canadian work experience. According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, preliminary 2007 data indicate that 63,673 international students came to Canada in 2007, representing a 4.6 percent increase over the previous year.