Post-graduation work permit (PGWP): eligibility, language, field of study and length

Basic eligibility

You must have completed a program at a PGWP-eligible designated learning institution that was at least eight months long (900 hours in Quebec), kept full-time status in each semester (the final semester may be part-time) and apply within 180 days of confirmation that you completed the program. Your study permit must have been valid at some point during those 180 days. You can get only one PGWP: IRCC says you are not eligible if you already received one.

Language results

If you apply on or after November 1, 2024, you must prove English or French skills in all four abilities: at least CLB 7 or NCLC 7 for university programs, including bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, and at least CLB 5 or NCLC 5 for college, polytechnic and other non-university programs. Accepted tests are CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training, PTE Core, TEF Canada and TCF Canada, and results must be less than two years old when you apply. Graduates of PGWP-eligible flight schools are the only exception.

Field of study

There is no field-of-study requirement for bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral graduates. For other programs, if you submitted your study permit application on or after November 1, 2024, you must graduate in an eligible field of study, identified by six-digit CIP codes on IRCC’s list. IRCC says that for 2026 it will not add or remove any eligible fields of study. If your code is no longer on the current list, it may still qualify based on when you applied for your study permit, so keep that date.

How long the permit lasts

The length depends on the level and length of your program, capped by your passport expiry. A program of at least eight months but under two years can give a permit up to the program’s length, for example up to nine months after a nine-month program. A program of two years or more can give three years. Since February 15, 2024, master’s graduates can get three years even if the program was shorter than two years, as long as it was at least eight months; this does not apply to certificate or diploma programs. Several eligible programs can sometimes be combined.

Applying, fees and working while you wait

IRCC lists a fee of $255 for the PGWP; biometrics cost $85 if required. You can work full-time while IRCC decides if your study permit was still valid when you applied, you completed your program and you were eligible to work off campus without exceeding the allowed hours. If your study permit expires and you do not change to visitor status, you have up to 90 days after it expires to apply for a PGWP and restore your student status.

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