Canada updates Post-Graduation Work Permit

Graduates of Master’s degree programs in Canada will soon be eligible to apply for a three-year PGWP. (Photo: Laurent Beique via Unsplash)

• Canada updates Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) & Open Spousal Work Permit Eligibility
• The new rules will be effective from September 1, 2024

Starting September 1, 2024, international students who begin a program of study that is part of a curriculum licensing arrangement will no longer qualify for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) upon graduation. Under curriculum licensing agreements, students physically attend a private college that has been licensed to deliver the curriculum of an associated public college. According to Immigration Refugees Citizenship Canada (IRCC),  these programs have less oversight than public colleges and act as a loophole for PGWP eligibility.  IRCC has not yet identified the specific schools that will be impacted by this new measure.

Graduates of Master’s degree programs will soon be eligible to apply for a three-year PGWP. Under the current rules, the length of a post-graduation work permit is based solely on the length of an individual’s program of study. This limits the amount of time a graduate student has to obtain Canadian work experience and potentially transition to permanent residence.

Post-graduation work permits (PGWPs) are open work permits given to international students who graduate from a Canadian program of study. PGWPs allow the holder to work for any employer, for as many hours they wish, anywhere in Canada.

PGWPs are valid for between eight months to three years and are a great way to obtain valuable Canadian work experience. Once an applicant has work experience in Canada, it opens a lot of opportunities to obtain Canadian Permanent Residency (PR).