Post-Graduation Work Permit
To work in Canada after you graduate, you must apply for a work permit under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP).A work permit under the PGWPP may be issued for the length of the study program, up to a maximum of three years. A post-graduation work permit cannot be valid for longer than the student’s study program, and the study program must be a minimum of eight months in length. For example, if you graduate from a four-year degree program, you could be eligible for a three-year work permit if you meet the criteria. If you graduate from an eight-month certificate program, you would be eligible for a work permit that is valid for no more than eight months.
Eligibility
To obtain a work permit after your graduation, you must meet the following requirements:
- You must have continuouslystudied full time in Canada and you must have completed a program of study that lasted at least eight months.
- In addition, you must have graduated from:
- a public post-secondary institution, such as a college, trade/technical school, university or CEGEP (in Quebec), or
- a private post-secondary institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as public institutions, or
- a private secondary or post-secondary institution (in Quebec) offering qualifying programs of 900 hours or longer leading to a diplômed’étudesprofessionnelles(DEP) or an attestation de spécialisationprofessionnelle (ASP), or
- a Canadian private institution authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees but only if you are enrolled in one of the programs of study leading to a degree as authorized by the province and not in all programs of study offered by the private institution.
- You must apply for a work permit within 90 days of receiving written confirmation (for example, a transcript or an official letter) from your institution indicating that you have met the requirements for completing your academic program.
- You must have completed and passed the program of study and received a notification that you are eligible to obtain your degree, diploma or certificate.
- You must have a valid study permit when you apply for the work permit.
NOTE: If you have graduated from a vocational or professional training program at a public or private secondary institution in Quebec, regulated by the Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport (MELS), you may be eligible to apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit.
In addition, applicants must:
- Be 18 years of age or older at the time of application
- Have a valid study permit when you apply for the work permit
- Have completed a full time program that lasted 900 hours or more (normally eight months in length), leading to a Diplômed’étudesprofessionnelles(DEP) or an Attestation de spécialisationprofessionnelle (ASP)
- Apply for a work permit within 90 days of receiving written confirmation (for example, a transcript or an official letter) from your institution indicating that you have met the requirements for completing your academic program
- Provide a supporting letter from your institution outlining the duration of studies and the program code
Impact of Length of the Studies in Canada and the Length of the Work Permit
A Post-Graduation Work Permit cannot be valid longer than the length of your studies in Canada.
If the official length of your program of study is:
- less than eight months
- you are not eligible for this program
- less than two years but more than eight months
- you may get a work permit for a period no longer than the length of your program of study (for example, if you studied for nine months, a work permit may be issued for a period of nine months)
- two years or more
- a work permit may be issued for three years
NOTE: students can attend a foreign post-secondary institution and transfer to an accredited provincial or territorial post-secondary institution in Canada in order to complete their studies. However, if the student receives their educational credential from a recognized Canadian educational/training institution, they may be eligible for a post-graduation work permit only for the length of time they studied in Canada. If the qualifying educational credentials were issued at an institution outside of Canada, they would not qualify for a post-graduation Work Permit.
You are Not Eligible for the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program if you:
- study in a program that is less than eight months long
- participate in a Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC)
- participate in a Government of Canada Awards Program funded by GAC
- receive funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
- participate in the Equal Opportunity Scholarship, Canada-Chile
- participate in the Canada-China Scholars Exchanges Program
- participate in the Organization of American States Fellowships Program
- participate in a distance learning program either from abroad or from within Canada or
- have previously been issued a Post-Graduation Work Permit following any other program of study.