A post-graduation work permit (PGWP) gives you permission to remain in Canada and work full time for up to three years after you graduate from a Canadian post-secondary institution. The length of the work permit depends on the length of your program. You do not require a job offer to apply and do not need to work in a specific field.

Who Is Eligible?

To be eligible for a PGWP, you must have:

• Completed a program of study that lasted at least eight months and led to a degree, diploma or certificate
• Studied full-time each academic session (excludes scheduled breaks), with two exceptions:
  1. You studied part-time in your final academic session only
  2. You took an authorized gap in studies for less than 150 days
  In addition, you must:
• Apply within 90 days after your Letter of Completion first becomes available AND have a valid study permit at the time of application,
• Apply within 180 days after your Letter of Completion first becomes available, AND have previously held a valid study permit, and one of the following:
1. Applied for visitor status before your study permit became invalid
2. Applied to restore your temporary resident status
3. Applied from outside of Canada

Work Permit Duration

A post-graduation work permit may be valid for up to three years, depending on the duration of the study program in Canada completed by the applicant. Moreover, the post-graduation work permit is an open work permit, allowing its bearer to work in any location in Canada, not restricted to any employer. Neither the applicant nor an employer needs to obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) before the worker may begin working in Canada. If you are studying in Canada and want to apply for a post graduate work permit, our immigration consultants at Canada Shift can assist you. We help students with PGWP by referring them to the right employer and help them in completing the requirements for the PR process.