After your studies

Post Graduation Work Permit

International students who meet certain eligibility requirements may choose to apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) upon completion of their program of study. The PGWP is an open work permit, meaning that it can be used to work anywhere in Canada. It is not necessary to have a job offer when applying for the PGWP. However, as its name implies, students must have already successfully completed their program of study before applying. Currently, the duration of a PGWP is issued in accordance with the duration of your program of study. If you complete a program between 8 months and 2 years in duration, your PGWP will have the same length as your program. If you complete a program 2 years or more in duration, you will be eligible for a 3-year PGWP.

Overview of eligibility criteria:

• Successful completion of an eligible program of study longer than 8 months in duration at a designated learning institution;
• Having maintained full time registration during each semester of your program of study*;
• Application submitted within 180 days of having completed the program;
• Having a study permit that was valid at some point during the aforementioned 180-day window;
• Having a valid status in Canada at the time of application, if you are applying from within Canada;
• Proof of language test results (French or English) for applications submitted as of November 1, 2024. Test results must be less than 2 years old at the time of application. See the IRCC website for eligible tests.
• Please see the IRCC website for a complete listing of eligibility criteria. Work in Canada after you graduate : Get the right documents – Canada.ca

*Exceptions include part-time registration in the final semester of study and university-approved leaves of absence. In the case of an approved leave of absence, you need to include documentation as part of your application. Work in Canada after you graduate: Who can apply – Canada.ca

Field of study requirement
As of November 1, 2024, some applicants for a PGWP must prove that they meet a field of study requirement. Students who are exempt from the field of study requirement include those who have completed bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and doctoral degree programs. Learn more on the IRCC website. Work in Canada after you graduate: Field of study requirement – Canada.ca

Amongst the criteria that make you ineligible for the PGWP:

• Having studied English or French as a second language;
• Having already received a PGWP;
• Not applying within the 180-day timeframe;
• Having completed the major part of a study program through distance learning;
• Please see the IRCC website for the complete list, including recipients of ineligible scholarship program – Work in Canada after you graduate: Who can apply – Canada.ca

Students are advised to consult the IRCC website in order to learn about accommodations for distance learning that were implemented during the pandemic, as well as how those temporary measures have evolved. As stated on the IRCC website, students who will be held under the lock-in date of September 1, 2024, must complete at least 50% of their program in class inside Canada to be eligible for the PGWP, and time spent studying outside of Canada will be deducted from the length of the PGWP.

When to apply for the PGWP

You can only apply for the PGWP after you have officially finished your program. At Bishop’s, successful program completion is confirmed at the Senate meeting that follows your last semester of study. Remember that up through the Senate meeting, you must have a valid passport, CAQ and study permit in hand. Senate – Bishop’s University

After the Senate meeting, the Registrar’s Office emails an attestation of completion of studies to all graduates as long as you do not owe funds to the university. You do not have to request this document. Upon receipt of this attestation, you are no longer considered a student and international students who have been working during their studies must cease working thanks to the authorizations granted by their study permit since they will be considered graduates. Thus, reception of the attestation of completion of studies marks both the end of your studies and the start of the 180-day timeframe relevant to the PGWP application. Once you have received this attestation, you can request your final official transcript which should also be included in the PGWP application.

How to apply for the PGWP

Take note that there are different eligibility requirements for applicants applying for a PGWP from inside Canada versus outside of Canada. Work in Canada after you graduate: Who can apply – Canada.ca

From within Canada:

As a temporary resident, you must ensure that you have valid status in Canada at all times.

As indicated on the IRCC website, if your study permit will expire prior to you being able to apply for your PGWP and you choose to apply online from within Canada, you must either apply for a visitor record to stay in Canada longer or leave Canada to apply for your PGWP.

If you let your study permit expire before you apply for your PGWP, ensure that you read the instructions on the IRCC website regarding restoral of status and PGWP application. Work in Canada after you graduate: Who can apply – Canada.ca

Prior to applying online on the IRCC website, read the instruction guide 5580. Your PGWP will be mailed to you at the address that you provided as part of your application. If you will be moving, make sure you update your address with IRCC and consider paying for mail forwarding services from Canada Post. Guide 5580 – Applying for a Work Permit – Student Guide – online application – Canada.ca

As stated on the IRCC website, you can work full-time while waiting for a decision to be made on your PGWP application if you completed your program of study, applied online from within Canada and had a valid study permit at the time of application, were eligible to work off campus without a work permit while studying, and always respected the limit to the number of hours associated with off-campus work. You may receive a letter via your IRCC account confirming your eligibility to work that you can provide to a prospective employer. Work in Canada after you graduate: After you apply – Canada.ca

If you have visitor status within Canada at the time of your PGWP application, you cannot work while waiting for your application to be processed.

Thinking about traveling at the end of your studies? If you apply online from within Canada for the PGWP while holding a valid study permit, it is possible to then travel outside of the country and still maintain the authorization to work upon your return (IRPR186w). Do not forget that depending on your country of citizenship, you may require a visa or an electronic travel authorization in order to enter Canada. Upon your return to Canada, in addition to having valid travel documents, you would need to be prepared to show the border officer the proof of having applied online for your PGWP while having had a valid study permit (ex: dated IRCC receipt, study permit, official transcript, attestation of completion of studies). Please visit the aforementioned IRCC website for more details.

From outside of Canada:

It is also possible to apply from outside of Canada. In the case of an online application from outside of Canada, you must wait to receive the letter of introduction confirming that the application has been approved prior to returning to Canada. The work permit will be issued in this case by the border agent. If you need a visa in order to enter Canada, your visa would be processed at the same time as your PGWP application. Ensure that you read the IRCC instruction guide 5487. Guide 5487 – Applying for a Work Permit outside Canada – Canada.ca

Important: as of June 21, 2024, it is no longer possible to apply for the post graduation work permit at the border. Do not attempt to “flagpole!” Canada improves fairness for applicants by ending post-graduation work permit “flagpoling” – Canada.ca

Documents generally needed to apply for the PGWP

• Attestation of Completed Studies letter – free of charge; emailed to the student by the Registrar’s Office as long as there are no outstanding fees on your account.
• Final official transcript – free of charge; must be requested by the student via the myBU portal. In the comments field, write “PGWP” to signal the reason why are you requesting this document.
• Study permit.
• Passport.
• Digital photo meeting IRCC requirements.
• Explanation letter depending on your situation (ex: purpose of application, supporting documents, additional employment history, leave of absence).
• Valid language test results as of November 1, 2024. Make sure you include your language test results even if you are not asked to provide them. See the IRCC website for details: Study program requirements – Canada.ca.
• Other documents depending on your situation.

Spouses

It may be possible to apply for a work permit for your spouse at the same time as you apply for the PGWP. Open work permits for family members of foreign workers: About the document – Canada.ca

IRCC Post-Graduation Work Permit