Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) in Canada for the International Students

Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) is an Open work permit for International students who have graduated from a Canadian Designated Learning Institutions (DLI). It gives them an opportunity to work in Canada between 8 months to 3 years depending on the program duration that has been pursued by the student. Students are strongly advised to check upfront before applying that the programs or colleges they are applying to provide them with the PGWP opportunity.

PGWP gives you an opportunity to obtain valuable work experience in Canada and makes students eligible to work for any employer, anywhere in Canada. This may also lead to Permanent Residency of Canada once students have gained work experience in Canada and become eligible to apply for Permanent Residency under numerous immigration opportunities available in different provinces.

Eligibility Requirements –

1. 50% of the classes must be conducted via in-person to make you eligible for PGWP.

2. Students must be over 18 Years and should have completed a full-time program in Canada of at least 8 months.

3. You can apply for PGWP only once so use it sensibly and apply for it only after the longest period of study as it will give you a longer period of PWGP, up to a maximum of 3 years. 

 Please note that PGWP is a great way to further advance your career as it gives you an amazing opportunity to work and gain permanent residency in Canada. 

Latest Updates as on January 22, 2024 – 

1. The Canadian government announced a temporary two-year cap on Canadian study permits, which will be limited to around 364,000, to be allocated by province.

2. Master’s, PhD, and K-12 students, current study permit holders, and those looking to extend their studies are fully exempt from this study permit cap.

3. International students who have graduated from masters programs or other short graduate level programs will be able to apply for a 3-year work permit.

4. As of September 1, 2024 students who enroll at public-private partnership institutions will no longer be eligible to access post-graduation work permits after graduating. 

5. New Students are required to provide a Provincial Attestation Letter as part of their study permit application. Applications missing an attestation letter will be returned.

6. Province or Territory (PT). PTs are required to establish a process for issuing these Attestation Letters no later than March 31, 2024.

7. Master’s, PhD, and K-12 students are fully exempt from the study permit cap and do not need to provide a Provincial Attestation Letter.

8. Open work permits will only be available to spouses of international students enrolled in master’s, doctoral programs & professional programs such as medicine & law.