ISS is available virtually and in-person Mondays-Fridays during business hours.
- Post-Graduation Work Permit
- Eligibility for the Post-Graduation Work Permit
- The 180-day deadline to apply: Important Information
- How to Apply for the Post-Graduation Work Permit
- Biometrics
- Your Post Graduation Work Permit and Your Temporary Resident Visa
- Traveling while waiting to receive your PGWP
Post-Graduation Work Permit
Students who have completed a 鶹Լ degree can obtain a The Post Graduation Work Permit is an open work permit,with the following benefits:
- no job offer requirement
- a duration of 3 years
- eligibility for Provincial Healthcare (information on applying for healthcare in Quebec can be found on the )
For complete details, visit the
Important Note |
---|
|
Eligibility for the Post-Graduation Work Permit
In order to apply you must meetthe following requirements:
- You must have maintained full-time status in Canada every academic semester, with the exception of your last academic semester (Please see:).IMPORTANT:If you have a gap in your studies, took a leave of absence or if you were part-time in a semester other than your final term, we recommend that you speak to an Immigration Advisor before applying for your PGWP.
- You must apply for a work permitwithin 180 days of receiving written confirmationfrom your institution indicating that you havemet the requirementsfor completing your academic program(e.g. a finaltranscript or an official letter confirming program completion). See below for more information on how to apply during these 180 days.
- If you are applying from inside Canada at the time of application, you must hold a valid study permitorhave valid visitor status.
IMPORTANT! The date of completion of your academic program is NOT the same as the date of convocation (your graduation ceremony). Your official date of completion of studies generally occursbeforeyour convocation date.
IMPORTANT!You can only obtaina PGWP once in your lifetime.
If you plan to complete more than 1 degree/diploma/certificate in Canada, consider carefully when it would be most strategic to take advantage of this one-time opportunity.
Proof of Completion of Program Requirements
Your degree is officially granted once 鶹Լ Senate has met to approve degrees. For exact dates as to when Senate will meet, please see theunder Meeting dates. If your last term is:
- Winter, Senate will meet in May;
- Summer, Senate will meet in October;
- Fall, Senate will meet in February.
AfterSenate has met to confirm your graduation, you can generate a letterdirectly from Minervathat confirms that you have met all the requirements to graduate (Minerva: Student Menu > Student Records > Letters-Proof of Enrolment > Proof of Enrolment/Graduation).
In addition to your Proof of Graduation letter, youmustalso include your official electronic transcript ordered fromEnrolment Serviceshowing final grades/results with thedegree grantedremarks. For instructions on how to submit your transcript, please see our Post Graduation Work Permit FAQs.
If you have circumstances that require youto apply for PGWPbeforeSenate has met to confirm graduation, pleaseconfirming that you have completed your program. Please note that in order to receive a letter confirming degree completion from Service Point, you must demonstrate that there are extenuating circumstances that require you to obtain proof of program completion before Senate meets. Extenuating circumstances could be one of the following:
- Your Study Permit will expire before Senate meets;
- You have to travel before the expiry of your immigration documents and will only be returning after the expiry of your Study Permit and TRV, if applicable;
- You have a job offer for a job that begins before Senate will meet.
Please note that you canonly requestthis exception letterafter your final gradeshave been posted on MinervaORyour final thesis/project has been accepted by your department.
The 180-day deadline to apply: Important Information
If you wish to apply for a PGWP, you must do so within180 daysfrom the first date you receive official written confirmation of completion of studies (either Senate meeting date or letter from Service Point, whichever comes first). You can apply for your PGWPas soon as you have proof of completion of your program requirements. You do not have to wait for 180 days to apply.
IMPORTANT!
Within the 180 days from the date you apply for your PGWP, you must hold or have held a valid Study Permit. If your study permit expired prior to you receiving proof of completion of studies, you willnothave the full 180 days from proof of completion of your studies to apply for your PGWP.
Your Deadline to apply for your PGWP is:
- 180 days from official written confirmation of completion of studies;or
- 180 days from the expiration of Study Permit
whichever comes first.
The examples below illustrate how to calculate the PGWP application deadline.
CASE SCENARIO 1:Study Permit expiresafterreceiving proof of completion of studies
Mohammed’s last registered term was Fall 2018. The expiry date on his study permit is August 31, 2019. His degree was granted on February 21, 2019.
When is his deadline to apply for the PGWP?His deadline to apply for his PGWPis August 21, 2019. This is because 180 days from February 21, 2019, when his degree was granted, is August 21, 2019.Watch out!Mohammed’s study permit becomes invalid 90 days from proof of completion of his studies.
See section onWhen does my Study Permit become invalidbelow and timeline below:
TheearliestMohammed can apply for his PGWP is on February 21, 2019, once his degree has been granted. Thelatesthe can apply is August 21, 2019, which is 180 days from when his degree was granted.
CASE SCENARIO 2:Study Permit expiresbeforereceiving proof of completion of studies
Ana’s last registered term was Summer 2018. Her study permit expired on August 31, 2018. Her degree was granted on October 24, 2018.
When is her deadline to apply for the PGWP?Her deadline to apply for her PGWPis February 27, 2019. This is because she must have held a valid study permit 180 days from the date she applies for the PGWP. 180 days from August 31, 2018, which is when her study permit expired, is February 27, 2019.Watch out!Ana doesnothave until April 21, 2019, to apply for her PGWP.
See timeline below:
TheearliestAna can apply for her PGWP is on October 24, 2018, once her degree has been granted. Thelatestshe can apply is February 27, 2019, which is 180 days from the expiry of her study permit.
You can apply for your PGWP either from within Canada or from outside of Canada. Depending on where you apply from and what you choose to do during those 180 days, there are important consequences to be aware of.
Important:When does my Study Permit become invalid?
Your study permit becomes invalid 90 days after completion of studiesorthe day on which it expires, whichever comes first, as per.
If you do not apply for your PGWP while your study permit is still valid, you must do one of the followingbeforeyour study permit becomes invalid:
1. Apply to change your status to a visitoror
2. Leave Canada.
See timeline below:
Applying for your PGWP as a student from within Canada
If you apply online for your PGWP from within Canada while your study permit is still valid, you canas long asyou have been continuously full-time throughout your studies, with the exception of your final term.
Applying for your PGWP as a visitor from within Canada
Please submit a myISS Request Form to request an appointment with an ISS Immigration Advisor.
Applying for your PGWP from outside of Canada
You may apply for your PGWP from outside of Canadaas long asyou are still within 180 days from the date you completed your studies. You donotrequire a valid study permit or valid visitor status in order to apply for your PGWP from outside of Canada.
How to Apply for the Post-Graduation Work Permit
You can apply for a post-graduation work permit online
Important Notice: PGWP application at the border no longer possible
As of June 21st, 2024, international students can no longer apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) at the border. Students should instead apply online. For the full news release, please see the .
Applying Online
Students may apply online eitherfrom within Canada or from outside Canada. Please note that(Work permit extension (new employer)) will vary by country.
- Determine your eligibility to apply online for the PGWP by completing the.
- Once approved for online application apply through your
- Assemble your documents according to your personalized IRCC document checklist, and follow the subsequent steps.
Required Documents: Applicants mustincludeboththeir official electronic transcript ordered fromEnrolment Servicesshowing final grades/resultsandproof of completion of studies when applying for the PGWP, including when applying online.Please note,your e-Transcript may display a "COPY" watermark when opened by the immigration agent. You should therefore include a cover letter explaining why your official e-Transcript has a "COPY" watermark and combine with your e-Transcript intoone pdf document.For more detailed instructions please see our Work FAQs.
Once you have applied from inside Canada and are waiting to receive your PGWP, you can begin to work full-timeonly if:
- you hold or held a valid* study permitat the time you applied for your PGWP, and
- you maintained a full-time student status every semester with the exception of your last term
*IMPORTANT! Your study permit becomes invalid 90 days after completion of studiesorthe day on which it expires, whichever comes first, as per
Biometrics
If you have never done biometrics:
- All foreign nationals applying for the Post-graduation work permit (PGWP) from inside or outside of Canada Canada must submit their unless they have previously submitted biometrics (see section below). Only are currently exempt from the biometrics requirement.
- If you have not provided biometrics to Immigration Canada within the past 10 years, you should receive a after you submit your PGWP application. Immigration Canada must receive your biometrics in order to continue processing your application. You can give your biometricsat a if you applying inside of Canada or a if you are applying outside of Canada.
- Biometrics are valid for 10 years. If you can’t remember whether or not your biometrics are still valid, use the .
- For more information, see Immigration Canada's "" webpage.
If you did biometrics previously but your biometrics will expire within the next 3 years:
- Before applying for your PGWP, be sure to check the of .
- Your PGWP may only be issued until the expiry date of your biometrics and not the full 3 years that you may be entitled to.
- You must answer No to the question “In the past 10 years, have you given your fingerprints and photo (biometrics) for an application to come to Canada?” in your for the PGWP application – even if you have done your biometrics within the past 10 years. This will allow you to pay for new biometrics, receive a and at a Service Canada officeif you are inside Canadaor a if you are outside of Canada. If you have provided updated biometrics, your PGWP should be issued for the full 3 years.
- Include a cover letter in the “Client Information” section of your document checklist explaining why you answered No to the biometrics question in the eligibility questionnaire even though you provided biometrics to IRCC within the past 10 years and the reason you need to submit new biometrics with your PGWP application.
Your Post Graduation Work Permit and Your Temporary Resident Visa
If your current TRV (Entry Visa) says "Student" and is still valid, you will not need a new TRV if you are changing your status to "Worker". Your TRV is valid regardless of whether it was issued to you as a student or worker.You can enter Canada with a TRV – “student” with a work permit.
If you apply for your PGWP fromoutside of Canada, and your TRV or eTA expires you will be automatically issued a new TRV or eTA. You do not need to complete a separate application or pay additional fees. It will be issued by the officer at the same time as the documents you need for your entry to Canada as a worker (see).
If you apply for your PGWP frominside of Canada,you will NOT be issued a TRV or an eTA automatically. You must apply separately for yourorif they are expired.
Traveling while waiting to receive your PGWP
If you have applied for your PGWP (and your study permit has expired) and you plan on traveling outside Canada while your application is in process, you can leave Canada and return.
However, in order to return and enter Canada, you must:
- OR
- OR
- be a Citizen of the United States (exempt from both the eTA and TRV).
Once you arrive at the Canadian border, the following scenarios may happen:
- You may be allowed to re-enterCanada as a temporary residentif Immigration Canada has not yet made a decision on your PGWP application. The officer at the port of entry may ask you to prove thatyou have enough financial capacityto support yourself in Canada. If you applied for your PGWP before your study permit expired and you are allowed to re-enter Canada as a temporary resident, you may be allowed to work while waiting for a decision on your PGWP application. See the information above on working while waiting for the PGWP.
- You may be allowed to re-enterCanada as a workerif your work permit has been approved while you were away.
- You may be asked to apply for a new work permit at the port of entry,
Note: It is possible thatyou will not be ableto enter Canada. The decision to allow you to enter Canada while your PGWP application is pending is at the discretion of theborder services officer.