Options to stay in Canada after your PGWP expires

Introduction

Your Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) gives you precious time to gather work experience after finishing your graduation in Canada. The PGWP is usually offered for a limited time period, anywhere from eight months to three years. Ideally, the individuals have to leave the country after the work permit expires.

However, there are different ways to stay in Canada after your PGWP expires. Check out these options below.

Express Entry

Express Entry is one of the most popular programs for skilled workers to immigrate to Canada permanently. You can apply for the Express Entry Program under any three categories below.

  1. Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
  2. Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
  3. Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

You have to submit your profile, and you will be ranked in the Express Entry Pool based on ranking. The IRCC uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). If you rank higher, then you will be sent an invitation to apply.

All the three categories above have their own eligibility criteria, and you need to check these before applying. Bunchberry Immigration specializes in helping individuals apply for the right, Express Entry program, increasing their chances of getting an invitation if their PGWP is going to expire or has expired. Do reach out to know more.

We have a detailed blog written about Express Entry to Canada. Do read that to get more information.

Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is a great way for graduates with work experience to settle down in one of the various provinces in Canada.

Many of the nominee programs make use of the Express Entry system, and this means the individual gets to make use of the expedited processing time of Express Entry and get to work in a province of their choice.

The challenge with the Express Entry system is that only specific skill level workers are allowed to apply for it. If you don’t belong to these skill levels, then do not worry. There are other provinces that allow people with skill levels C or D to apply too if their PGWP expires in the near future.

These provinces keep changing their requirements when it comes to accepting immigrants. Therefore, get in touch with us to know which province would suit your skill levels the best. 

Quebec immigration

Quebec is a province, but it does not participate in the generic Provincial Nominee Program. Instead, it has its own requirements and terms regarding immigration. If you are working in Canada with a PGWP, then you have to first apply to the Government of Quebec for a Quebec Selection Certificate.

Your profile has to match the current skills the province is looking for, and if that happens, you will be chosen to immigrate to Quebec and find a permanent job there.

Atlantic Immigration Pilot

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot program is an opportunity for skilled workers and students to live and work in one of the four Atlantic provinces of the country – Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Labrador.

If you are an international student who studied in one of the four Atlantic Provinces and had a full-time course of at least two years, you can apply for the pilot program. People with a valid PGWP in Canada are also allowed to apply for the program.

Each of these provinces has its own application and endorsement procedures and terms. You have to check with the individual provinces to see if they accept applications and if their requirements match your skill levels.

Family sponsorship

If your spouse or common-law partner is a citizen or a Permanent Resident of Canada, you can request sponsorship to stay back in Canada even after your PGWP expires. The person who sponsors your stay will have to agree to take care of your basic requirements, including food, shelter, clothing, utilities, and healthcare.

Stay as a temporary resident

If none of these options work for you and you are looking to stay back in the country after your PGWP expires, then you could consider staying back as a temporary resident. IRCC offers Temporary Resident Permits for people who want to enter and stay in Canada for a temporary period of time.

Do note that getting your Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) does not automatically allow you to work with the employer of choice. At times, the officer issuing the permit may consider issuing you a Temporary Work Permit, especially if the TRP issued to you is valid for at least six months.

This will give you precious time to consider other permanent ways to stay and work in the country.

Takeaways

Your Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) gives you a great opportunity to stay back in Canada and get valuable work experience. However, this is a limited-time opportunity. If you have dreams of finding a full-time job in Canada and stay there, exploring the options of becoming a permanent resident and then a citizen, then you have to start considering one of the above ways right away after graduating.

Most of these options take time to get processed, and an expert immigration consultant like Joytvinder Bhatti will help identify the right venues for you to explore to stay in this beautiful country.