Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) in Canada for Indian Students

PGWP Canada: The PGWP allows international students graduating from a participating post-secondary college/university to gain Canadian work experience. In the long run, Canadian work experience gained through PGWP helps international graduates qualify for PR (permanent residence) in Canada through Express Entry. In this article, students can learn everything about the Post Study Work Visa Canada.

Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP) Canada

Post Graduate Work Permit in Canada or PGWP Canda or Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP) allows international students, who graduated from designated learning institutions (DLIs) in Canada, to get a valid open work permit and gain work experience in Canada. Moreover, skilled Canadian work experience, in National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill type 0 or skill type A or B gained through the PGWPP, helps graduates become eligible for permanent residence in Canada. Students who gain Canadian work experience qualify for permanent residence in Canada through the Canadian experience class within Express Entry.

Getting a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP Canada) while studying in Canada depends a lot on your course and its duration. A work permit under the PGWP is usually issued for the length of the study program. The maximum length of the PGWP in Canada is of three years. It means that if your post-graduate course’s duration is of two years, you may get a three-year PGWP visa. A post-graduation work permit cannot be valid for longer than the student’s study program. The course duration must be a minimum of eight months to get post graduate work permit in Canada.

Graduating from a DLI does not mean that you are automatically eligible to get a PGWP. After getting your final marks (or notification of programme completion), a candidate has 180 days to apply for a PGWP. Also, make sure your study permit does not expire before you get your final marks.

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Latest Updates for PGWP Canada

Students are advised to visit this section for regular updates on PGWP Canada.

Changes in PGWP Canada (Quebec)

Students must note the following updates about the Post Graduate Work Permit Canada with respect to some academic programmes offered at some DLIs in Quebec:

• If your programme gets completed before 1st September 2023 and you apply for a PGWP Canada within 6 months of its completion, your PGWP application will fall under the existing criteria.
• If you start your academic program after 1st September 2023, you can apply for PGWP Canada only if that program is eligible after 1st September 2023.
• If you are currently enrolled in a program that will not be eligible for PGWP Canada after 1st September 2023, your time spent studying in that program before 1st September 2023 might be counted for your PGWP calculation.

Changes Introduced by the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada

Temporary changes are made for the following groups of students:

1. Those who were enrolled in PGWP-eligible programmes and these programmes were in progress in March 2020
2. Those who started their PGWP-eligible programs between March 2020 and 31 August 2022

Note: Those who enrolled themselves after 31 August 2022, are covered under the ambit of these changes.

The following are the changes:

Note: Students must note the following points:

• These programmes must be eligible for PGWP Canada,
• Any time spent outside of Canada after 31 August 2023, will be deducted from the length of the PGWP.

Eligibility Criteria for PGWP Canada

If you are inside Canada, you are eligible if:

• You have up to 180 days, from the date of completion of your course, to apply for a PGWP Canada. You need to prove this with the help of your degree/diploma/transcript/official letter from the school. Moreover, your Canada student visa must be valid during these 180 days.
• Your in-person classes were changed to online mode
• Your program has in-person and online modes.
• Your studies were put on hold, or you had to study part-time, during the winter, spring or summer 2020 semesters.
• Please note that in order to be eligible for PGWP Canada, you must be enrolled in a full-time course as of Fall 2020 semester.
• From September 1, 2023, at least 50% of your academic programme must be complete in-class.

If you are outside Canada, you are eligible if:

• You have to apply for a post graduation work permit (PGWP Canada) within 180 days of completing your program. In your application, you must submit your degree/diploma/ transcript/ official letter from your college.
• Time, spent studying online, between March 2020 and August 31, 2022 will count towards the length of your PGWP.
• 100% of your two online academic will count for PGWP Canada, until August 31, 2023, if the course was in progress in March 2020 or it started between March 2020 and August 31, 2022. These two academic programmes must be from a PGWP-eligible DLI and must be at least 8 months in duration.
• Important: Any amount of time, after August 31, 2023, spent outside Canada, will not count towards your PGWP duration.
• You must have a study permit.
• Your institute must be a designated learning institution (DLI).
• Your program must be of at least 8 months in duration and must lead to a degree/diploma/certificate.
• You must have a full-time student status

Application Details

Following are the details of application details for PGWP Canada:

• You will be provided 180 days after your graduation to apply for PGWP Canada
• You need to have a degree, diploma, official letter from your academic institution, or an official transcript.
• For PGWP Canada, a fee of CAD 255 is charged (CAD 155 is the base fee, and CAD 100 is the 'Open Work Permit Holder' fee)
• If you wish to restore your student status and PGWP, you will have to pay CAD 605
• PGWP processing time for online applications is 141 days
• PGWP processing time for paper-based applications is 34 days

Duration of Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) Canada

If the official length of your program of study is:

• Less than eight months: you are not eligible for the PGWP program
• Less than two years but more than eight months: you will get a work permit for a period equal to your course duration
• Two years or more: you will be granted a work permit for three years
• If you complete more than 1 academic program, then you may get a PGWP whose duration is the combined length of each program. However, both programs must of at least 8 months in duration and you must not have obtained a PGWP on the basis of the first program

Can I get PR after 2 years work permit in Canada?

One needs to have at least 12 months of full-time or an equal amount of part-time skilled work experience in Canada in the three years before one applies. Moreover, one must meet or exceed language levels (CLB 7 for TEER Category 0 or 1 occupations and CLB 5 for NOC TEER Category 2 or 3 occupations) for the National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level.

Once you obtain a PGWP, there is no need for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). LMIA shows that a foreign worker is required to fill the vacant job position. An employer is supposed to apply for an LMIA. However, if you have obtained a PGWP, there is no need for an LMIA. This allows you to gain a work experience in Canada, which will help you obtain a Canada PR through Express Entry (Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program, and Federal Skilled Trades Program), PNP, etc.

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