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Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP)

Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP) is a promising route for international students studying in Canada to gain temporary work and permanent residency in the country. It provides open work permits to students who have studied at the Canadian Designated Learning Institution (DLI) with a validity of 8 months to three years. With this permit, the students will be able to pursue a full-time or part-time job or be self-employed. As per the skill-set of the job, one can apply for permanent residency through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program. A student is required to submit the PGWPP application within 180 days of receiving the certificate of their education.

Eligibility Criteria for PGWPP

  • Completed academic, vocational, or professional training program at an eligible institution in Canada for at least eight months leading to a degree, diploma, or degree.
  • Been a full-time student.
  • Hold a certificate and official letter from DLI stating successful completion of the course by the student
  • Have or had a valid study permit or had the authorization to study without a study permit.
  • Valid passport

To help students who were affected by the pandemic restrictions, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced a new Canadian work visa program.

Requirements to Qualify for This Special PGWPP

  • One must have a PGWPP that expired on/after January 30, 2020, or that will expire four months or less after the application date.
  • Student stayed in Canada at the time when the policy was implemented, on January 27, 2021, and stayed in Canada since then.
  • Have valid temporary status or in process of restoring status.
  • Have applied for PGWPP between January 27 and July 27, 2021.
  • Have a valid passport that is valid for at least 18 months.

Additionally, if the student is having to study online owing to COVID-19 travel restrictions, then they may still be eligible for a PGWP. Their online study time will be counted in the PGWP, if it was going on between March 2020 and fall 2021.

For the students who are still in Canada, they can apply for this PGWP, if

  • Student’s in-person classes changed to online.
  • They had to put studies on hold or study part-time during winter, spring, or summer 2020 semesters.

If the student is not in Canada, they may be eligible if:

  • They have enrolled in a program that was in progress in March 2020 or;
  • They have started or will start a program between spring 2020 and fall 2021 and have a study permit that has been approved and is under approval process or they had applied for a study permit before starting the study program.

To get your Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP) application approved, it is recommended to prepare your application under the guidance of licensed RCICS. Thus, we invite you at ImmigCanada to team with our experienced and knowledgeable immigration consultants to bag assured success.