Program eligibility
Post-Graduation Work Permit
The eligibility criteria below are drawn from the governing regulation and IRCC program guidance, each anchored to the verbatim source text so you can read the rule as it is written and follow it to the official page.
Eligibility criteria
The requirements below are drawn directly from the governing regulation and IRCC program guidance for Post-Graduation Work Permit. Each is anchored to the verbatim source text, not a paraphrase, so you can read the rule as it is written and follow it to the official page.
“You have **up to 180 days** after you graduate to apply for a PGWP.”
“you apply for your PGWP within 180 days of confirmation that you completed your program of study”
“In most cases, you should pay a biometrics fee **when you submit your application**.”
“proof that you’ve completed your studies”
“proof that you've completed your studies”
“Graduates of certain designated learning institutions are eligible for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP).”
“Your proof must be from a PGWP-eligible designated learning institution (DLI) and program”
“for graduates who apply for their study permit on or after November 1, 2024, proof that you graduated in an eligible field of study (if applicable)”
“**Make sure you pay both the open work permit holder fee and the work permit fee.**”
“you must have graduated in an eligible field of study”
“you must graduate in an eligible field of study”
“You completed a flight training course at a DLI training centre and now have a Canadian commercial pilot's license”
“You have or are getting an instructor's rating and have a job offer as a flight instructor from a DLI flight training centre”
“you maintained full-time status as a student in Canada during each semester of your study program”
“proof that you were enrolled in full-time studies for a program that was 8 months or longer”
“for applications submitted on or after November 1, 2024, proof of language ability (if applicable)”
“You **must include this proof** with your application if it’s a requirement for your [study program](/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/work/after-graduation/eligibility.html#education-level).”
“You must prove your English or French language skills with a minimum level of Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) 7 in English or Niveaux de competence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 7 in French in all 4 language areas”
“You must prove your English or French language skills with a minimum level of Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) 5 in English or Niveaux de competence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 5 in French in all 4 language areas”
“If you apply on or after November 1, 2024, you **must** provide proof of English or French language skills.”
“Your test results must be **less than 2 years old** when you submit your application.”
“you completed a program of study at a PGWP-eligible designated learning institution that was at least 8 months long (or 900 hours for Quebec programs)”
“If you don’t change your status to visitor and your study permit expires, you have **up to 90 days** after your study permit expires to apply for a PGWP and restore your status as a student.”
“To restore your status as a student, you must - apply online for your PGWP and pay the correct fee ($255), **and** - pay the fee to restore your status as a student ($396.25)”
“your study permit was valid at some point during the 180 days after you completed your program of study”
“If you want to work in an occupational setting that requires a medical exam, you also need to complete an upfront medical exam.”
“proof of upfront medical exam (if applicable)”
“Your study permit must be **valid (not expired) at the time** you submit your application to be eligible to work in Canada while awaiting a decision on your PGWP application.”
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