Changes to Canada’s post-graduation work permit: What you must know about the new PGWP rules

If you’re thinking of working in Canada after graduating as an international student, you’ll need to know about the latest update on the Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP). 

Canada has updated the eligibility criteria for its PGWP, including a new field of study requirement.  

A glance at the changes from 1 November 2024: 

• You will need to meet language requirements to apply for PGWP 

• If you are a graduating with a university bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctoral degree, all fields remain eligible for PGWP for up to three years 

• For students in college-level programs and university programs that are not bachelor’s, master’s or PHDs, only 966 fields across agriculture, agri-food, healthcare, STEM, trade, and transport are eligible for PGWP 

This update means that choosing the right course is more important than ever if you want to work in Canada after your studies. Look up free expert counselling services that can help you navigate these changes, to select programs that meet your goals and qualify under the new PGWP criteria.

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced the list of PGWP-eligible programs on 4 October 2024, designed to ensure international students can contribute to key industries. The new field of study requirements applies to college-level programs, as well as some university programs. 

You will need to meet the new requirements to apply for a PGWP if you submit your study permit application on or after November 1, 2024.

For university students graduating with a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PHD: 

• Language criteria: Prove your English or French language skills. You must score a minimum level of Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) 7 in English—or an IELTS band score of 6.0 in the Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking sections of IELTS General Training. For French, you’ll require Niveaux de competence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 7 in all 4 language areas. 

• Field of study criteria: All fields of study are eligible— there is no additional field of study requirement. 

If you graduated from any other university program: 

• Language requirement: Prove your English or French language skills. You must score a minimum level of CLB 7 in English—or a band score of 6.0 in Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking segments of the IELTS General Training. For French, you’ll need NCLC 7 in all 4 language areas. 

• Field of study requirement: You must graduate in an eligible field of study

If you graduated from a college program or any other program not listed above: 

• Language criteria: Prove your English language skills with a minimum of CLB 5 in English—or IELTS band scores of 4.0 in Reading, and 5.0 in Writing, Listening and Speaking for IELTS General Training. To prove French language skills instead, you’ll need NCLC 5 in all 4 language areas. 

• Field of study requirement: You must graduate in an eligible field of study

Do note that when submitting your proof of language ability, your test results must be less than 2 years old. 

If your study program comes under the new requirement of “field of study”, that program will have to be linked to certain occupations assessed by Canada to be in long-term shortage. In that case, you would only be eligible for the PGWP if your program falls under the fields of study across these 5 broad categories: 

• agriculture and agri-food 

• healthcare 

• science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) 

• trade 

• transport 

Make sure your program is in the IRCC’s full list of programs if you are planning to submit your study permit application after 1 November 2024.

Some requirements for applying for a post-graduation work permit will remain, even after 1 November 2024. 

• You will still need to meet the general and physical location requirements.  

• You must still complete and graduate from a study program at a designated learning institution (DLI) that is eligible for a PGWP 

• If you are a graduate from a PGWP-eligible flight school, the new eligibility requirements from 1 November 2024 do not apply to you 

Regardless of the changes to the post-graduation work permit, you should carefully consider which career and field fits in with your aspirations for your future, and suits you as an individual. 

The opportunity to work in Canada after you graduate through the PGWP pathway may be an important facet in your decision as well. How then do you decide? What should you compromise?   

Make sure to seek unbiased, professional advice and counsel when deciding where and what to study abroad. You can get help from an experienced education advisor to form your own decision, and navigate the application process without stress. 

Tap on the expertise of an IDP counsellor to map out your study abroad plans. Counselling services are free, so book a session today.