Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)

For many international students, the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) is the crucial bridge between an academic journey and building a career in Canada. The PGWP is an open work permit that allows eligible international students who have graduated from a participating Canadian post-secondary institution to gain valuable Canadian work experience. This experience can be instrumental in supporting a future application for permanent residence in Canada, as many immigration programs value Canadian work experience.


Type of Work Permit

The PGWP is an open work permit. This means a PGWP holder is not tied to a specific employer and can work for almost any employer in Canada. The PGWP is also exempt from the requirement of obtaining a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) under LMIA exemption code C43. A PGWP can only be issued once in a lifetime.


Timing and Validity

An application for the PGWP must be submitted within 180 days of receiving confirmation of program completion (e.g., official letter of completion or transcript). The study permit must have been valid at some point during these 180 days. Under maintained status, most PGWP applicants can work full-time while their work permit application is being processed.

The length of a PGWP depends on the length of the study program:

  • Programs between 8 months and less than 2 years: The PGWP will generally be valid for the same length as the program.
  • Programs 2 years or longer, or a Master's degree of 8 months or longer: The PGWP can be valid for 3 years.


Eligibility

DLI

The PGWP only applies to graduates from eligible Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) and programs. International students must maintain full-time student status during each academic session of the program, with some exceptions for the final semester.

Field of Study

There are no field of study requirements for graduates with a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctoral degree. 

International students in non-degree programs must graduate in an eligible field of study. Eligible fields of study are linked to certain occupations linked to long-term labour shortage, aligning with those being prioritized under Express Entry:

  • Agriculture and agri-food
  • Education
  • Healthcare and social services
  • Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
  • Trade
  • Transport

A total of 929 Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes are currently eligible for the PGWP.

Language Proficiency

Graduates from a university program must prove English or French language skills with a minimum level of Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) 7 in English or Niveaux de competence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 7 in French in all 4 language areas. 

Graduates from any other college, polytechnic or non-university program must prove English or French language skills with a minimum level of CLB 5 in English or NCLC 5 in French in all 4 language areas.

There are no language or field of study requirements for graduates from a PGWP-eligible flight school.


How to Apply

With IRCC restricting the practice of 'flagpoling', international students can no longer apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) at the border. In most cases, the PGWP application must be submitted online. Graduates who cannot submit an application online due to a disability or technical issues may apply on paper. Once approved, the PGWP will be mailed to the address provided in the application.


Other options

International students that do not meet the requirements for a PGWP may still be able to work in Canada after graduation using another type of work permit. Contact us for assistance in finding your pathway to Canada!

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