Post Graduation Work Permit

To work in Canada after you graduate from a designated learning institution, and want to stay in Canada temporarily while working, you may be eligible to apply for a post-graduation work permit. The work experience you will gain while working may help you to qualify for permanent residence.

To get a post-graduation work permit, you must:

• be 18 or older when you apply
• have continuously studied full-time in Canada in a study program at least eight months long
• have a document from your school (transcript, official letter, certificate, etc.) that confirms you completed and passed all your program requirements
• have graduated from a:

• public post-secondary school, such as a college, trade / technical school or university
• Canadian private school that can legally award degrees under provincial law (for example, Bachelors, Masters or Doctorate degree) but only if you are enrolled in a study programs leading to a degree as authorized by the province

• apply for a work permit within 90 days of when it was confirmed that you completed your program and
• have a valid study permit when you apply for the work permit.

You aren’t eligible to apply for a PGWP if you:

• studied in a program that was less than eight months long
• studied for more than eight months but not continuously (for example, you took a semester off)
• took part in a Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC)
• took part in a Government of Canada Awards Program funded by GAC
• had funding from GAC
• took part in the Equal Opportunity Scholarship, Canada-Chile
• took part in the Canada-China Scholars Exchanges Program
• took part in the Organization of American States Fellowships Program
• completed a study program by distance learning either from abroad or from within Canada or
• already had a post-graduation work permit following any other program of study.

For further information, please contact us.