Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) Eligibility

Licensed RCIC guidance for international graduates applying for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) in Canada.

Written and reviewed by Usman Khalil, RCIC (R709592), a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant and member of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC). Last reviewed: September 18, 2026.

The Post-Graduation Work Permit lets eligible graduates of Canadian Designated Learning Institutions work in Canada. The rules changed in 2024 and 2025, and this page explains who qualifies now, the language and field-of-study requirements, application timing, status and restoration, refusals, and the path to permanent residence.

1. What the PGWP Is

The Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) is an open work permit for eligible graduates of Canadian Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs). It lets you work for almost any employer in Canada. You can only ever receive one PGWP in your lifetime, and the length of the permit is tied to the length of your study program. Because it is an open work permit, the time you work on a PGWP can help you qualify for permanent residence later.

2. Who Can Apply (at a Glance)

You generally need to have completed an eligible program of at least eight months at a PGWP-eligible DLI, have maintained full-time student status, and apply within the required window. Most applicants must also meet a language requirement, and graduates of certain programs must have studied in an eligible field.

3. The Field-of-Study Requirement (2024)

Whether this rule applies to you depends on your program and when you submitted your study permit application:

• Bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral graduates have no field-of-study requirement; for this exemption, IRCC looks at the credential type, so a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree remains exempt even when awarded by a college or polytechnic.
• Graduates from any other university program may need to meet the field-of-study requirement if they submitted their study permit application on or after November 1, 2024.
• Graduates from any other college, polytechnic or non-university program may need to meet the field-of-study requirement if they submitted their study permit application on or after November 1, 2024.
• Flight school graduates are exempt from the language and field-of-study requirements.

IRCC has frozen the eligible field-of-study list for 2026, but you should still check the current CIP-code list before you apply.

4. The Language Requirement (2024)

If you submit your PGWP application on or after November 1, 2024, you must prove language ability in all four abilities: graduates with a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree need CLB or NCLC 7; graduates from any other university program also need CLB or NCLC 7; and graduates from any other college, polytechnic or non-university program need CLB or NCLC 5. Flight school graduates have no language requirement. Your language test results must be valid when you apply. Note the different date triggers: the language rule is tied to the PGWP application date, while the field-of-study rule for applicable programs is tied to the study permit application date.

5. Full-Time Study, Online Study and Leave

Your program must be at least eight months long at a PGWP-eligible DLI (or 900 hours for certain Quebec programs). You generally must have maintained full-time student status in each academic session; part-time study is allowed in the final semester. Study pattern can also change eligibility. If your applicable distance-learning lock-in date is on or after September 1, 2024, at least 50% of the program must be completed in class in Canada, and time studied outside Canada is deducted from the length of your PGWP. Completing more than 50% of the program through distance learning generally makes you ineligible, subject to IRCC’s narrow COVID-era transition rules. An authorized leave of up to 150 days may be accepted in certain circumstances if your DLI authorized it and you provide proof; an unauthorized leave can create an eligibility problem. Programs delivered through curriculum-licensing or public-private partnership arrangements are generally not PGWP-eligible, subject to IRCC transition exceptions based on the program start date. You apply after you receive confirmation that you completed your program.

6. Application Timing: the 180-Day Window

You must apply for the PGWP within 180 days of the date you receive confirmation that you completed your program. Your study permit must have been valid at some point during that window. The general eligibility rules require a PGWP application within 180 days of confirmation that you completed your program. Missing the applicable deadline can make a graduate ineligible for a PGWP.

7. If Your Status Will Expire Before You Apply

If your study permit will expire before your school issues your final marks or completion letter, you generally have two options: apply to stay in Canada as a visitor (a visitor record) so you can submit the PGWP from inside Canada, or leave Canada and apply from abroad.

8. PGWP and Restoration of Status

If your study permit expired and you are still in Canada, timing is critical. In many cases, you have up to 90 days after your study permit expires to submit the PGWP application and request restoration of status as a student. You must pay the PGWP fee and restoration fee and include proof of the restoration fee payment with the PGWP application. Restoration is not automatic, and you cannot work unless you have proper authorization.

9. Common PGWP Refusal Reasons

Issues that can affect PGWP eligibility or lead to refusal include applying outside the 180-day window, not meeting applicable language or field-of-study requirements, gaps in required full-time study, status or restoration problems, or missing required proof of program completion.

10. PGWP to Permanent Residence

A PGWP is temporary, but the Canadian work experience you gain on it can help you qualify for permanent residence, including through Express Entry (the Canadian Experience Class generally requires one year of skilled Canadian work experience) or a Provincial Nominee Program. See our Express Entry page, and use our work permit to PR guide for a broader route comparison.

10b. Can Your Spouse Get an Open Work Permit After Your PGWP?

A PGWP does not automatically make a spouse or common-law partner eligible for an open work permit. The spouse is assessed under the family-of-worker rules that apply to the PGWP holder’s actual employment, work authorization, permit validity and, where relevant, permanent-residence pathway.

Practical sequence: confirm the PGWP decision, identify the worker’s exact NOC and TEER, calculate the permit validity remaining when the spouse will apply, then determine whether the family is using the ordinary high-skilled-worker rule or a separate PR-related measure. See MAK’s Spousal Open Work Permit eligibility page and the focused 16-month vs 6-month guide before relying on a copied online checklist.

IRCC family-member work-permit eligibility instructions rechecked September 17, 2026. The current IRCC instructions control if the family-work-permit rules change.

11. How MAK Helps

MAK works with licensed Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs). We confirm whether you meet the current PGWP rules, check the credential-specific language and field-of-study rules, review online or offshore study, authorized leave and curriculum-licensing issues where relevant, manage timing and status, and prepare the application to reduce avoidable refusal risk.

How long is a PGWP, and how long does it take to get one?

If your program ran at least eight months but less than two years, IRCC may give a PGWP for about the same length as the program. If your program ran two years or more, IRCC may give a three-year PGWP. A master’s degree of at least eight months can get a three-year PGWP even when the program was shorter than two years; that exception does not cover certificates or diplomas. The permit cannot run past your passport expiry date, and you can only ever hold one PGWP (IRCC, About the PGWP, page modified 9 March 2026, checked 18 September 2026). Processing time is not fixed, so check IRCC’s live processing-time tool for today’s estimate rather than any figure quoted on a website.

12. Official IRCC Links

• IRCC: PGWP who can apply
• IRCC: Work after you graduate
• IRCC: Field-of-study requirement

Frequently Asked Questions

Important note: This page provides general information only. It is not case-specific immigration advice. PGWP eligibility, language and field-of-study requirements, application timing, status and restoration rules, and fees can change without notice. Always confirm current requirements with IRCC before applying. For case-specific advice, book a paid consultation with a licensed RCIC.

Reviewed by Usman Khalil, RCIC (R709592), Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant and CICC member. Last reviewed: September 18, 2026. Official sources checked: September 18, 2026.

PGWP-to-PR planning is one of the matters our licensed RCICs can assist with.

Current PGWP and work permit timelines change often – our guide on checking work permit processing times explains how to read IRCC’s live estimates.