ARCHIVED – Operational Bulletins 058 – April 22, 2008

Recent Changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) Program

This Operational Bulletin has expired. Please refer to manual OP 12 – Students for current information.

Background

The contribution of international students to Canada’s economic and cultural environment is based on the foundation of our educational institutions, which offer an intellectual and academic environment and facilitate rich and diverse cultural exchange.

The Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP) accommodates this contribution to Canada’s well-being by facilitating access of well qualified individuals to the workforce.

The new changes to the PGWPP facilitate:

• An increase in the number of international students accessing the PGWPP and contributing to the Canadian labour market;
• An increase in the pool of highly qualified candidates for eventual immigration through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC); and
• In making Canada a more attractive destination of study.

General Policy

The general policy requirements of the PGWP specify that international students must have graduated from a Canadian university or college. If the school is private, it must be authorized by the province to confer degrees. Eligible graduates must secure a job offer prior to applying for a work permit and the type of employment must be related to the student’s field of studies.

A student who has graduated from an institution located in Montreal, Toronto or Vancouver can work for one year only, while those who have found employment outside these areas can work for up to two years.

Amended Policies

• Open Work Permit
  The PGWPP offers an open work permit with no restrictions on the type of employment. New graduates can work in any occupation.
• Extended Duration
  The duration of the work permit is extended to three years across the country. (Provisions outlined below).
• No geographical restriction
  Students are allowed to accept work in any location across the country.
• Eligibility
  
  For purposes of the PGWPP, the above provisions apply to students who have studied full-time at a Canadian university, community college, CEGEP, or publicly funded trade/technical school. They also apply to full-time studies at private institutions authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees; but only if the student is enrolled in one of the programs of study leading to a degree as authorized by the province and not in all programs of study offered by the private institution.
  1. If the program of study is two years or more, the student would be eligible for a three-year PGWP.
  2. If the program of study is less than two years but at least eight months, the student would be eligible for a PGWP. However, the validity period of the work permit must be no longer than the period the graduating student studied at the particular post-secondary institution in Canada. For example, if the student graduated from an eight-month certificate program, they are only eligible for a work permit of eight months’ duration.
  3. If the program of study is less than eight months, the student would not be eligible for a PGWP.

Exceptions

Students receiving funding from the following sources are not eligible for a PGWP:

• Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program
• Government of Canada Awards Program, funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade or by the Canadian International Development Agency
• International students who are enrolled in an English-as-a second-language or French-as-a-second-language (ESL/FSL) program or in general interest courses, or who are visiting or exchange students.

Note: Students who are already working under a work permit issued under the previous rules are eligible to apply for an extension; however, the total duration of the permit, including the extension, should not exceed the maximum duration allowed by the new program parameters.

Procedures

The general eligibility criteria, conditions of the work permit and processing procedures, outlined in the Foreign Worker Manual (FW-1) chapter 5.38 and the Student Manual (OP 12), continue to apply.

Questions

Questions about this operational bulletin should be sent to OMC-Immigration@cic.gc.ca.