Frequently Asked Questions

A PGWP is an open work permit available to international graduates from eligible Canadian educational institutions. It allows the holder to work for any employer anywhere in Canada

To be eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit, an international student must: 

There is no requirement to obtain a PGWP if the graduate does not intend to remain and work in Canada

The PGWP may be issued for a maximum of three years, depending on the length of the graduate’s program of study in Canada. For example, if the study program was one year in duration, the PGWP will usually be issued for the same length of time (i.e. if a candidate’s study program was 12 months, the PGWP would be valid for 12 months). If, however, study program was two years or more in duration, a PGWP may be issued for up to three years.

Three years is the maximum duration of a PGWP. The permit cannot be valid for longer than the length of the program of study completed in Canada

• studied in a program that was less than eight months long;
  
• studied for more than eight months but not continuously (for example, you took a semester off);
  
• took part in a Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC);
  
• took part in a Government of Canada Awards Program funded by GAC;
  
• had funding from GAC;
  
• took part in the Equal Opportunity Scholarship, Canada-Chile;
  
• took part in the Canada-China Scholars Exchanges Program;
  
• took part in the Organization of American States Fellowships Program;
  
• completed a study program by distance learning either from abroad or from within Canada; and/or
  
• already had a post-graduation work permit following completion of another program of study

There is no requirement to obtain a PGWP if the graduate does not intend to remain and work in Canada

The PGWP may be issued for a maximum of three years, depending on the length of the graduate’s program of study in Canada. For example, if the study program was one year in duration, the PGWP will usually be issued for the same length of time (i.e. if a candidate’s study program was 12 months, the PGWP would be valid for 12 months). If, however, study program was two years or more in duration, a PGWP may be issued for up to three years. Three years is the maximum duration of a PGWP. The permit cannot be valid for longer than the length of the program of study completed in Canada.

In order to apply for a PGWP, a candidate must have completed, passed the program of study, and received a notification of eligibility to receive his or her degree diploma or certificate. This can be proved with a transcript or an official letter. Additionally, the application must be submitted within 180 days of receiving written confirmation that the candidate has completed his or her studies.

Candidates can submit their application online or by mail to IRCC.

Please consult the Canada Visa Immigration Processing Times Tool for the current PGWP processing time estimate. Select that you are applying for a Temporary Residence application and then choose "Work permit extension - new employer" under temporary residence application type.

• a public post-secondary institution, such as a college, trade/technical school, university or CEGEP (in Quebec);
  
•  a private post-secondary institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as public institutions;
  
• a private secondary or post-secondary institution (in Quebec) offering qualifying programs of 900 hours or longer leading to a diplômed’études professionnelles (DEP, in English Diploma of Vocational Studies, or DVS) or an attestation de spécialisation professionnelle(Attestation of Professional Specialisation, ASP); or
  
• a Canadian private institution authorized to grant degrees if the student is enrolled in one of the programs of study leading to a degree, as authorized by the province.

A PGWP cannot be renewed beyond the maximum duration allowed according to the holder’s study program. When a PGWP is about to expire, the holder must apply for a different permit or visa if he or she wishes to continue working in Canada.

Individuals can only receive one PGWP no matter how many Canadian diplomas, degrees or certificates they obtain

PGWP holders can work in any job for any employer, anywhere in Canada. Certain restrictions may apply.

A candidate can pursue both programs at the same time. A PGWP is a popular way for graduates to remain in Canada and work while waiting for the application for permanent residence to be processed

In some cases, a student at the end of his or her degree may only have one or two courses remaining in his or her program, and therefore will study part-time in the final semester to fulfill the credit requirements of a study program. In this situation, a student is not considered to have failed the stipulation to study full-time and his or her eligibility for the PGWP is not affected.

If the spouse wishes to obtain an open work permit, he or she must submit a separate application. However, in order to obtain an open work permit for an accompanying spouse or common-law partner, the holder of the PGWP must demonstrate that he or she is working in a skilled, managerial, or technical position. In this situation, the spouse needs to submit documents relating to the international graduate's PGWP and employment, along with his or her application for an open work permit for an accompanying spouse.