Due to the CoronaVirus Outbreak, Canada government has made some changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit.
The program is designed to provide an employment opportunity to the students who have accomplished their graduation. This is done by providing a Canada Work Permit for upto three years. Best thing is that it is free from Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) requirements.
General Requirements include,
- The candidate must be an attendee of a secondary school or post-secondary school which offers qualifying programs, for at least eight months.
- Post Graduation Work Permit is issued for the length of the study, for programs that last between eight months and two years.
- A three year permit is issued for the International Students who have studied for two years or more.
When the candidate applies for the permanent residence application through Canada Express Entry, then the work experience gained through this period will be counted.
Post Graduation Work Permit: Who Can Apply?
Candidates must:
- Be 18 or older.
- A regular full-time student in Canada in a program for at least 8 months.
- All your program requirements are completed and passed.
Graduated from one of the following:
- Public post-secondary school, such as a college, trade/technical school or university, or CEGEP in Quebec.
- Private secondary or post-secondary school (in Quebec) that offers qualifying programs of 900 hours or longer, leading to a diplôme d’études professionnelles (DEP) or an attestation de spécialisation professionnelle (ASP).
- Private post-secondary school that operates under the same rules as public schools (currently applies only to certain private post-secondary institutions in Quebec).
- Canadian private school that can legally award degrees under provincial law (for example, Bachelor’s, Masters or Doctorate degree) but only if you are enrolled in a study program leading to a degree as authorized by the province.
- Apply within 180 days of completing the program.
Special Case: Flight Instructors
To be eligible, a flight instructor must fit one of the following descriptions:
- Have completed a flight training course at a Canadian training centre and now have a Canadian commercial pilot’s license.
- Is in the process of getting an instructor’s rating and has a job offer as a flight instructor from a flight training centre.
Post Graduation Work Permit: How Long Is It Valid?
The validity of a Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) is linked to the length of study. A study of less than eight months by a candidate makes them non-eligible.
| Length of Study | 8 months to 2 year | 2 years or more | More than one program |
| Duration of PGWP | Same as length of study | 3 years | Cumulative total length of study is applicable |