To immigrate to Canada for work, international students who have completed an eligible training course in Canada can apply for a PGWP (Post-Graduation Work Permit). The PGWP license allows applicants to work for any employer they have chosen in Canada. Applicants can use this work experience to help them apply for permanent residency and work immigration to Canada. The PGWP is valid for three years.
The program offers more than 100 different immigration programs to volunteers who have studied or worked in Canada. Overall a PGWP holder must have one year of professional experience in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) Code and groups 0, A, or B.
Can I study outside of Canada and still qualify for the PGWP?
Working conditions for immigration to Canada, Canadian asylum, and citizenship had a specific policy during the Covid-19 epidemic. This policy allows students from other countries to complete their residency program in Canada while living abroad and still are eligible for the PGWP when migrating to Canada for work. To benefit from this policy, you must comply with the following:
– Enroll in a dedicated Canadian educational institution. The Government of Canada has designated colleges and universities as Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) to encourage international students.
– You started the study program between spring 2020 and summer 2022, or your program was running before March 2020.
– Have a training permit, or have been approved for a training permit, or have applied for a study permit before starting a work immigration program in Canada, to be finally approved.
What are the Requirements to be eligible for PGWP?
-Receipt of transcripts and an official letter from DLI is mandatory.
– A copy and official letter in the PGWP license application.
Which educational institutions are approved?
The applicant must have graduated from a public institution like a college, vocational school, or university. In Quebec, it can also be a (Collège d’Enseignement Général et Professionnel) CEGEP or a private post-secondary school run under the same rules as public schools in Quebec. Again in Quebec, if a private high school offers eligible programs for nine hundred hours or more. Studying at this center is associated with receiving a DEP (Diplôme d’Études Professionnelles) or ASP (Attestation de Spécialisation Professionnelle).
A private Canadian university that can award degrees under provincial law is approved. Qualifications include associate, bachelor’s, master or Ph.D.
Note that graduates of vocational-technical education programs in Quebec must also meet the PGWP criteria set by the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada), depending on the type of diploma received.
What is the Validity Period of the PGWP for Immigration to Canada?
The PGWP license is valid for eight months to 3 years. Its actual duration is commensurate with the length of your schedule on a Canadian DLI. The IRCC agendas listed on the Website include:
– A curriculum completed in less than eight months is not eligible for PGWP. Any training program completed between 8 months and less than two years will have the PGWP equivalent to the duration of your training program. (For example, a 10-month plan leads to PGWP for ten months)
– A training course lasting two years or more will be valid for PGWP for three years.
What is the Deadline for the PGWP Application?
The deadline for applying for a PGWP permit and applying for work immigration to Canada is 180 days or six months after receiving an official copy and letter from the DLI.
If the study permit expires before the grades arrive, applicants will have two options: either apply for a longer stay in Canada to extend the study time or leave Canada to apply for a PGWP.
When applying, applicants must show that they either have a valid educational certificate or a study permit or are allowed to study in Canada without obtaining a study permit under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
The supporting documents required for Work Migration to Canada and the PGWP Program
Program officers may request additional documentation, but be aware that two important documents are required at the time of application: a letter confirming completion of the training program and a formal DLI copy.