Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP)

The Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) allow international students who graduated from a Canadian institute to work in Canada. The students’ graduates from the Designated Learning Institutes (DLIs) of Canada are allowed to work in the country after completing their studies to gain work experience.

Furthermore, the Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWPs) are Open Work Permits enabling foreign graduate students from Canadian institutes to work in the country legally. This work permit enables students to work full-time or part-time easily all over Canada.

Moreover, the Post-Graduation Work Permits also helps the permit holders to become Canadian Permanent Residents by equipping them with work experience. The gained work experience can be helpful while applying for immigration streams leading to permanent residence.

• Post-graduation work permit validity

The duration of a post-graduation permit mostly depends upon the duration of the study program. Mostly, the validity of the PGWPs is between eight months to three years. Under this duration, the applicants gain work experience in National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill type 0 or skill level A or B.

The study program’s duration is mostly kept in mind while determining the duration for the post-graduation work permit. The validity length of the post-graduation work permit cannot exceed the validity period of the applicant’s passport.

• LMIA Requirement for PGWP

The most advantageous point of the PGWP is that it does not require a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). The primary purpose of PGWPs is to equip fresh Canadian graduates with work experience in the country. Furthermore, this work experience also makes them eligible to apply for Canadian Immigration streams for Permanent Residence.

Some immigration pathways for which the permit holders can apply are:

• Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

• Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)

• Federal Skilled Trades (FST)

• Provincial Nomination Programs (PNP)

• Quebec Immigration Programs

 

• Post-Graduation Work Permit eligibility requirements

It is important to note that Post-graduation Work Permit is issued only once. This means that applicants can only apply for this permit once.

The following requirements must be fulfilled before receiving a post-graduation work permit:

• The applicants must have valid temporary resident status, or they have left Canada.
• They must be graduated from an Eligible Designated Learning institution (DLI) in Canada.
• They have finished an academic, vocational, or professional training program of at least eight months at a qualifying institution in Canada that leads to a degree, diploma, or certificate.
• Throughout each academic session of the program of study they have finished, they have maintained full-time student status in Canada.
• They have obtained a transcript and an official letter from the eligible DLI certifying that they have completed their program of study and have satisfied the prerequisites.

 

• After Applying for PGWP

After applying for Post-graduate Work Permit, or within the 180 days of the work permit application process, the applicants must meet any one of the following conditions.

• They must possess a valid study permit.
• They had previously possessed a study permit.
• Under paragraphs 188(1)(a) and (b) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, they were allowed to study in Canada without the need for a study permit.

 

• Ineligibility conditions

Following candidates will be considered ineligible for the post-graduation work permit. The conditions include:

• Applicants who have been issued with post-graduation work permit previously.
• Funds receivers from Global Affairs Canada (GAC).
• Participants of Government of Canada Awards Program funded by GAC.
• Participants of Organization of American States Fellowships Program.
• Used distance learning to fulfil their credits toward completing their study program.
• Regardless of the duration of stay in Canada, completed a program of study given by a non-Canadian institution in Canada.

 

• Processing Time for Post-Graduate Work Permit

The processing time for a PGWP might range from 80 to 180 days. Candidates are free to work in Canada while waiting for their PGWP if they apply before their student visa expire. Applicants have 180 days from the day they fulfilled all of their program of study prerequisites to apply for their PGWP.

After finishing their education, applicants can apply for a PGWP from another country if the applicants leave Canada. Previously, applications for post-graduation work permits had to be submitted solely from within Canada. Additional paperwork may be asked if a PGWP application is filed from outside of Canada, depending on the visa office that will process the application.

• Immigration after Post-Graduation Work Permit

The post-graduation work permit provides the international students with exposure to working in Canada. Furthermore, the students can work in Canada legally without any strict conditions.

In fact, this pathway provides international students with an opportunity to become permanent residents of Canada. An applicant is in an excellent position to apply under the Canadian Express Entry immigration system if they can connect their Canadian education with full-time job experience.

An Express Entry candidate with a Canadian educational degree and job experience will get additional points toward their complete ranking system (CRS) score. It makes them more competitive against other applicants for permanent residence status.