Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)

A Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) allows you to work for any employer in Canada. You can use this professional work experience to support an application for Canadian permanent residence.

Overview

International students who complete an eligible post-secondary programme in Canada can apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). This forms part of Canada’s efforts to attract international students and retain them as immigrants. The PGWP is an open work permit, allowing international students to work for any employer in Canada without a job offer.

A PGWP is valid for up to three years, depending on the length of your programme at aDesignated Learning Institution (DLI). One major advantage of the PGWP is that it allows international students to build professional work experience in Canada. That experience is highly valuable when the PGWP holder applies toimmigrate to Canada. Many of Canada’s 100-plus immigration programmes place a high value on candidates who have studied or worked in Canada.

PGWP holders normally need one year of professional work experience underNational Occupational Classification (NOC) 0, A or B to be eligible to apply to a Canadian permanent residence programme.

Does studying abroad qualify for a PGWP?

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) introduced a special policy during the COVID-19 pandemic allowing international students to study remotely at a Designated Learning Institution in Canada and remain eligible for a PGWP, provided they met all other requirements.

International students studying online from abroad, or who applied for a study permit before 31/8/2022, remain eligible to complete 100% of their programme online without affecting their programme eligibility. Time spent studying from abroad after 1/9/2023, however, will be deducted from the length of the permit, regardless of when the student began their programme.

PGWP eligibility

From 1/11/2024, IRCC applies new language and qualification criteria for issuing PGWPs. All applications submitted after that date must demonstrate:

• Language ability atCanadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 for university graduates, or CLB level 5 for college graduates.
• Graduates of bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral programmes remain eligible. Graduates of Canadian public colleges, however, are eligible only if they completed a programme in a field that meets Canadian labour market needs.

In addition, from September 2024, students enrolled in curriculum licensing arrangements (where a private college is licensed to deliver the curriculum of an affiliated public college) are no longer eligible for a PGWP.

To be eligible for a PGWP, an international student must:

• Have completed an academic, vocational or professional training programme of at least eight months at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI).
• The programme must lead to a degree, diploma or certificate.
• Have maintained full-time student status.
  • Note: Canada waived this requirement during the COVID-19 pandemic for certain international students. The waiver applies to students who began or were due to begin a programme between spring 2020 and summer 2022, or whose programme was already under way in March 2020.
• Have received a transcript and an official letter from the DLI confirming that they have met the requirements to complete the programme.
• Have graduated from:
  • A public post-secondary institution (for example, a college, university or CEGEP in Quebec).
  • A private institution in Quebec operating under the same rules as a public one.
  • A private institution in Canada authorised under provincial law to award bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees, provided the degree programme is approved by the province.

Graduates of vocational and professional training programmes in Quebec must meet additional IRCC permit criteria, based on the type of qualification awarded.

PGWP duration

A PGWP is valid for between eight months and three years, depending on the length of the programme. IRCC provides the following guidance:

• Programmes of less than eight months: not eligible for a PGWP.
• Programmes of eight months to under two years: the PGWP is valid for a period matching the length of the programme.
• Programmes of two years or more: the PGWP is valid for three years.
• Master’s programmes of under two years: since 2024, graduates of such programmes are also granted a three-year PGWP if they meet all other requirements.

PGWP application deadline

The deadline for applying for a PGWP is 180 days (six months) from receiving the transcript and confirmation letter from the DLI.

If the study permit expires before the transcript is received, the applicant has two options:

• Apply for visitor status in order to remain in Canada longer; or
• Leave Canada and apply for the PGWP from abroad.

When applying, the applicant must show that they hold a valid study permit, previously held a study permit, or were authorised to study in Canada without a study permit undersections 188(1)(a) and (b) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

Required supporting documents

While processing officers may request further documents, the two key documents required with the application are:

• A letter from the DLI confirming completion of the programme.
• An official transcript from the DLI.