PGWP eligible field-of-study list frozen for 2026

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will not update the current list of fields of study eligible for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) in 2026.

IRCC confirmed the freeze in a website update posted on 15/01/2026.

That means no field of study will be added or removed for the remainder of the year.

The government had previously indicated in 2025 that it would overhaul the eligible programmes in “early 2026”.

In 2024, IRCC introduced a field-of-study requirement for certain post-secondary graduates applying for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). Under this rule, some international students must complete a programme of study linked to occupations facing long-term labour shortages in order to qualify for a PGWP.

The PGWP is an open work permit that allows eligible graduates to work in Canada and gain Canadian work experience—often a key step for those pursuing permanent residence.

The field-of-study requirement generally applies to programmes below bachelor’s level, such as certificate-level qualifications. International students graduating with a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree are exempt from the PGWP field-of-study requirement.

What does the 2026 freeze mean for international students?

For prospective international students planning to study and work in Canada, the freeze brings greater certainty about which programmes can lead to a PGWP after graduation.

At present, IRCC’s list includes 1,107 programmes of study eligible for the PGWP. These fall largely within fields such as:

• Health care and social services;
• Education;
• Skilled trades;
• Agriculture;
• STEM; and
• Transport.

Graduates of college and other non-degree programmes should confirm that their programme appears on the eligibility list if they intend to apply for a PGWP.

How to check which programmes of study fall under the field-of-study requirement

International students on non-degree programmes must check IRCC’s list of eligible Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes before applying for a study permit, or for a PGWP.

A CIP code is a six-digit number used to classify post-secondary programmes by field of study.

Applicants can find the full list of CIP codes eligible for the PGWP here.

Background: the PGWP changes announced in 2025

In June 2025, IRCC announced that it would revise the programmes of study that can lead to a PGWP. Following those changes, 119 new fields of study became eligible, while 178 were removed.

In July, the government paused the removal of programmes from PGWP eligibility until the next update to the list, which it signalled would come in “early 2026”. That meant all 178 programmes “removed” in June 2025 remained eligible for the rest of 2025. Because the list has been frozen for 2026, they will continue to be eligible until the end of the year.

Following the 2025 revisions, the list of PGWP-eligible programmes grew from 920 to 1,107.