Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) is for international students who have graduated from a Canadian Designated Learning Institution (DLI). Being open work permits, they grant foreign nationals the freedom to work for any employer, anywhere in Canada.
Staying in Canada after graduation with a PGWP
1. What is a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)?
Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) is for international students who have graduated from a Canadian Designated Learning Institution (DLI). Being open work permits, they grant foreign nationals the freedom to work for any employer, anywhere in Canada.
2. PGWP Eligibility Criteria
PGWP eligibility is determined by whether the applicant has the following:
- Completed studies at an eligible DLI in an academic, vocational, or professional training program (minimum eight months in length) that leads to a degree, diploma, or certificate.
- Received a transcript and an official letter, confirming they have met the requirements to complete their program.
- Held full-time student status in Canada during every academic session of the program or programs of study completed and included as part of their post-graduation work permit application (note below).
- Graduated from a public post-secondary institution, such as a college, a trade or technical school, a university, CEGEP (in Quebec), a private post-secondary school (in Quebec) that operates under the same rules as public schools in Quebec; a private secondary or post-secondary school (in Quebec) that offers qualifying programs of 900 hours or longer and results in the issuance of a diplôme d’études professionnelles (DEP) or an attestation de spécialisation professionnelle (ASP); or a Canadian private school that can award degrees under provincial law (but only if the student was enrolled in a study program that leads to a degree as authorized by the province).
- Quebec note: Graduates of vocational and professional training programs in Quebec must meet additional PGWP criteria outlined by IRCC depending on the type of diploma issued.
(source: CIC News)
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3. Distance Learning and PGWP Eligibility
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, students studying at a DLI via distance learning may still be eligible for a PGWP. There are several date-specific exceptions to the typical eligibility requirements set by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, provided all other criteria are met (IRCC):
- August 31st, 2022: International students who study online from abroad or submit a study permit application before this date can complete all their studies online and remain PGWP-eligible
- September 1st, 2023: Starting from this date, study time completed abroad “will be deducted from the length of international student’s PGWP regardless of when the international student began their studies”
(source: CIC News)
4. How Long Does It Take to Get a PGWP?
- A PGWP can take anywhere from 80 to 180 days to process. While waiting for your PGWP, you are free to work in Canada provided you applied prior to the expiry date of your student permit.
- You have 180 days to apply for your PGWP from the date you completed all the requirements of your program of study.
- If you leave Canada after your studies have been completed, you can now apply for a PGWP from overseas. Previously, post-graduation work permit applications needed to be submitted exclusively from within Canada. If a PGWP application is submitted from outside of Canada, additional documentation may be requested depending on the visa office that will process the application.
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