OTTAWA - International students who've graduated from Canadian post-secondary schools will be able to stay in Canada longer now that the federal government has offered a temporary program to help them qualify for permanent residency.

Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said Friday that beginning this summer, graduates with work permits that expire in 2022 will qualify for an extension of up to 18 months.

The minister said details about the expedited process have not been finalized and are expected to be released in the coming weeks.

During the pandemic, the government paused applications for programs such as the Canadian experience class and federal skilled worker and federal skilled trades classes to work through a backlog.

The government says the “vast majority” of new applications to these classes will be processed within the six-month service standard.