OLLO – Post-Graduation Work Permit Program and Labour Market Impact –November 4, 2024
Key Facts And Figures
The Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program is an open work permit with no requirement for a job offer, location of work or employer.
The program allows students who have graduated from a provincially recognized Canadian postsecondary institution in an eligible program to gain skilled work experience in Canada, which can enable them to apply for a range of economic-class immigration programs.
In 2023, there were 243,294 new PGWP holders in Canada, up from 74,480 in 2018. From January to August 2024 there were 137,862 new PGWP holders in Canada.
Key Messages
On September 18, 2024, as part of a series of measures to support the Government of Canada’s commitment to reduce volumes of temporary residents, new eligibility requirements were announced for the PGWP program to better align it with labour market needs and permanent residence requirements.
As of November 1, 2024, all new PGWP applicants will be required to demonstrate a minimum level of language proficiency – equivalent to Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) level 7 for university graduates and CLB level 5 for college graduates.
Additionally, as of November 1, new study permit applicants intending to pursue college or certain shorter university programs (e.g. certificates, diplomas) will need to graduate from a field of study linked to occupations in long-term shortage to be eligible for a PGWP.
There are over 900 eligible fields of study across five categories: healthcare, STEM, trades, transport and agriculture and agri-food.
This new requirement will not affect the eligibility of current study permit holders who intend to apply for a PGWP after completing their program.
The list of PGWP eligible fields of study has been published on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s website.
Graduates from university bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs will remain eligible, regardless of their field of study, provided that they meet the minimum language requirement.
These reforms were informed by a series of consultations about international student reforms held with officials from provincial/territorial ministries of immigration and education, as well as national education associations and other key stakeholders, throughout the spring and summer of 2024.
