Post-Graduation Work Permit Program
The Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP) allows students who have graduated from a Canadian Designated Learning Institute (DLI) to work in Canada and gain valuable work experience by offering them an open work permit.
Eligibility
- You must be at least 18 years of age
- You must have studied in Canada in a full-time program that lasted for at least eight months
- You must have studied at one of the Designated Learning Institutes (DLIs) in Canada
- You have applied for PGWPP within 180 days of completing your study program
The following are accepted DLIs for accepting PGWP applications
- A public or a private post-secondary institution including colleges and trade/technical institutions or CEGEP in Quebec
- Any public or private secondary or post-secondary institution in Quebec that runs programs for more than 900 hours and offers Attestation of Vocational Specialization (AVS) or Diploma of Vocational Studies (DVS)
- Any Canadian private institution that can legally award degrees
Advantages of PGWPP
- Your work permit is open and exempted from Labor Market Impact Assessments
- You are allowed to choose between different work modes – full-time, part-time, or self-employment
- You can work for the employer of your choice
- PGWPs are valid for anywhere from 8 months to three years
- It helps students gain valuable working experience inside Canada
- It makes it easier for the students to apply for a Permanent Residency later on
Things to take note of
- You will only be allowed to apply for a PGWP once. If you plan on studying in the future, it will make sense to apply after your most extended study period.
- Your passport must be valid for the entire period of PGWP sanctioned.
- You cannot apply for a PGWP if you studied in a non-Canadian institution.
- You may still be eligible to apply for a PGWP if you finished your course and left the country.
- You may also be eligible for a PGWP, if you did an accelerated program, took up distance learning, transferred between DLIs during the course, or graduated from specific Quebec schools. Individual cases will be analyzed for letting you apply for a PGWP then.