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Post-Graduation Work Permit Cheat Sheet

Important: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that over the coming months. We therefore recommend applying for your PGWP as soon as you receive official notification of program completion.
Please note:听If you submit your application on or after November 1, 2024, you will be required to demonstrate a minimum language proficiency in French or English, which for university graduates, is set at the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of level 7.
Remember: International students can no longer apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) at the border. Students must now apply online.

Congratulations on completing your program at 看片视频! Now that your studies are over, you may be thinking about applying for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). And because you can only obtain a PGWP once in your (immigration!) lifetime, we want you to know some important information to help guide you through the application process.

1. Am I eligible for the PGWP?

To be eligible for the PGWP, you must have completed a program that is at least 8 months in duration and have maintained continuous, full-time student status in every semester with the exception of your final semester.

  • For undergraduate and non-thesis students, full-time means attempting a minimum of 12 credits per semester.
  • Thesis students are considered to be full-time regardless of the number of credits they take per semester.

NOTE: If you did not maintain a full-time status in every semester of your program, with the exception of your final semester, contact ISS for assistance in submitting your application.

Additionally, as of November 1st 2024, PGWP applicants will be required to prove either English or French language skills with a minimum level of 7 in English or 7 in French in all 4 language areas in order to be eligible for the PGWP. 听Please refer to the for more information on accepted language tests and results.听

2. What is the deadline to apply for the PGWP?

The deadline to submit your application is 180 days from the date you receive official confirmation of program completion OR 180 days from the date your study permit expires 鈥 whichever date comes first.

3. When will I receive official confirmation of program completion?

You will receive an official confirmation of program completion:

  • In a Proof of Graduation Letter the day after Senate meets to approve degrees, which is the date that the degree granted remark appears on your transcript (see Convocation & Graduation FAQ page > Transcript & Diploma > "When will my transcript show degree granted?"). This is the day you are deemed to have received official confirmation of program completion. You can download a Proof of Graduation Letter in your Minerva account (Minerva: Student Menu > Student Records > Letters-Proof of Enrolment > Proof of Enrolment/Graduation).

OR

  • In a from Service Point. The date of issue of your letter from Service Point is the day you are deemed to have received official confirmation of program completion. *NOTE* You can request a PGWP letter from Service Point if you must apply for your PGWP before Senate meets (e.g. you have a job offer that听starts or your study permit is expiring before Senate meets).

4. When must I stop working?

If you have been full-time in every semester of your program with the exception of your final semester and your study permit is valid, you can continue to work as per the until the day you receive official confirmation of program completion. Once you receive official confirmation of program completion, .

You may resume working only after you either:

  • have submitted an online PGWP application and are while an online application is processing, or;
  • have obtained your PGWP.

NOTE: If you have not been full-time in every semester of your program due to course withdrawals, leave of absence(s) or gap term(s), you may be authorized to work in your final term ONLY if you are registered full-time; however, you cannot work from the end of your final term until you obtain your PGWP.

5. Can I work while my PGWP application is processing?

You can work while your application is processing if all of the following apply:

  • You applied from inside Canada;
  • You held a valid SP at the time you submitted your application;
  • You were a full-time student in every semester (with the exception of your final semester and/or an approved Leave of Absence of 150 days or less); and
  • You were eligible to while studying and you didn鈥檛 work more hours than you were allowed to.

If you do not meet all the requirements above, you cannot work while your application is processing 鈥 even if you receive an Acknowledgment of Receipt letter from Immigration Canada that says you can. You can only begin to work once your PGWP application has been approved.

6. Where can I apply for the PGWP?

  • You can apply online from , and if eligible, work while your application is processing; or
  • You can apply from , and can only work in Canada once you have obtained your PGWP

7. Can I apply for the PGWP while on maintained status?

If you are in Canada and have maintained status as a student (i.e., your study permit extension application is still processing), you cannot submit an inside Canada PGWP application (IMM 5710). You will need to either:

  • Wait for your study permit extension application to be approved and then submit an inside Canada PGWP application (IMM 5710) before the study permit expires. If you are worried that your study permit extension application will not be approved in time to apply for the PGWP for further guidance;
  • Submit an outside Canada PGWP application (IMM 1295) while you are physically residing inside Canada. You will need to include a cover letter explaining your situation. Please note however, even if otherwise , you will not be authorized to if you submit an outside of Canada application (IMM1295); or
  • Leave Canada and submit an outside Canada PGWP application (IMM 1295)

Please contact us if you have any questions about applying for the PGWP while on maintained status.

8. Can I apply for the PGWP as a visitor?

If you are inside Canada as a visitor and wish to apply for your PGWP, you must . Please note however, even if otherwise , you will not be authorized to . Contact us for more information.

9. Do I need a medical exam to apply for the PGWP?

If the you plan on doing will bring you into close contact with 鈥渧ulnerable people鈥, you may need to undergo a medical exam by a - even if you are not prompted to do so when submitting your PGWP application. Consult the for more details.

10. What are the language tests that are accepted by IRCC for the PGWP application?

You only need to take an English OR French test. One language is sufficient. IRCC accepts the following English OR French tests:

English tests


You should take the CELPIP-General test.

You should take the IELTS General Training option.

You should take the PTE Core option

French tests


More Resources

You can find our more about the PGWP application process:

Have a Question? See our听Work FAQs OR
Contact Us听for more information!

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