the CanadaVisa Team - 14 February, 2019
International students applying for a Post-Graduation Work Permit will now have six months to apply once they obtain their final marks and will no longer require a valid study permit.
The changes were announced Thursday, February 14, along with other modifications to Canada's popular Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program.
The extension doubles the amount of time recent graduates have to apply for a PGWP once their school issues their notice of graduation, from 90 days to 180 days.
Another corresponding change was the removal of the requirement that international graduates have a valid study permit when applying for a PGWP.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) now says a study permit must only have been valid “at some point” during the 180 days that graduates now have to submit their PGWP application.
A Post-Graduation Work Permit is an open work permit that allows international graduates of eligible Canadian designated learning institutions to stay and work in Canada for a period of up to three years after their studies are completed.
In order to be eligible, the candidate's study program must be at least eight months long and meet other specified criteria.
Skilled Canadian work experience obtained with a PGWP can help international graduates qualify for permanent residence in Canada through the Canadian Experience Class, which is one of the three Federal High Skilled program managed by Canada’s Express Entry system.
For any questions about the Post-Graduation Work Permit, and to learn how you can stay and work in Canada once your studies are complete, please do not hesitate to contact us.
