The published IRCC process for a post-graduation work permit: which designated learning institutions and programs qualify, the language and field-of-study rules, how long the permit lasts, the 180-day application window, fees, and working while you wait for a decision.
Applies in: across Canada
This guide covers one application only: a post-graduation work permit, known as a PGWP, after completing a program of study in Canada. It is not a guide to getting a study permit, to extending a study permit, or to permanent residence. It states the published process as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) states it. It is not immigration advice for your situation: eligibility turns on the dates of your study permit application and your PGWP application, on your institution and program, and on your status history, and an officer decides the application. Read the IRCC pages linked in the Sources section on the day you apply, because the eligibility rules changed on November 1, 2024, and IRCC applies the rules by application date.
A PGWP is an open work permit for graduates of eligible Canadian designated learning institutions (DLIs). Graduating from a DLI does not automatically make you eligible. IRCC says so directly: graduating from a DLI does not automatically make you eligible for a PGWP, and you must check the DLI list to find out which schools have eligible programs. The single most expensive mistake in this process is assuming eligibility from graduation alone and discovering, after the 180-day window has run, that the institution, the program, or the field of study did not qualify.
Start with the DLI list, not with your graduation letter. IRCC's eligibility page requires that you completed a program of study at a PGWP-eligible designated learning institution. A school can be a DLI, authorized to accept international students, without having PGWP-eligible programs, and a program at a PGWP-eligible DLI can still be ineligible. Confirm both the institution and the specific program against IRCC's DLI list before you spend anything else on the application.
The program length test is fixed. The program must have been at least 8 months long, or 900 hours for Quebec programs. IRCC states the length test in the general eligibility section and repeats it in the program instructions, which also require that the program led to a degree, diploma, or certificate. A program shorter than 8 months does not qualify, however strong the rest of your file is.
Two program traps deserve a direct check. First, programs delivered on behalf of a PGWP-eligible institution through a curriculum licensing agreement, also called public-private partnerships, are not PGWP-eligible in most cases, subject to narrow exceptions tied to when you began the program. IRCC's exceptions turn on start dates: within the same province, a program begun on or before May 15, 2024 may be eligible, and one begun after that date is not; between provinces, the corresponding dates are on or before January 31, 2023 and after February 1, 2023. If your program was delivered by a private college on behalf of a public institution, read the special-cases section of the eligibility page and confirm your start date against those exceptions before you apply. Second, flight school graduates have their own requirements, with no language or field-of-study requirements, and must meet the flight-training conditions stated on the eligibility page.
IRCC requires you to meet all eligibility requirements. The general requirements, as stated on the eligibility page, are four:
Full-time status is the requirement most often misunderstood. IRCC states it for each semester, not as an average across the program, and the only stated relaxation is part-time study in the final semester. Authorized leave is the other stated exception: you may be able to take an authorized leave of up to 150 days from your study program and still meet the conditions of your study permit, but you need to provide proof that your DLI authorized the leave when you apply for a PGWP. An unauthorized leave is different: IRCC states you may not be eligible if you take an unauthorized leave and IRCC finds you did not meet the conditions of your study permit by taking it. If you took any leave, gather the DLI authorization before you apply, and do not describe an unauthorized break as authorized.
Transfers have their own counting rule. If you transferred between DLIs, the length of your studies must be at least 8 months to be eligible. If you transferred from a non-DLI to a DLI, only the time you spent studying at the DLI counts, and you must spend at least 8 months at the DLI. If your program had an overseas component, you may be eligible as long as you earn a credit from a Canadian school for it, but the PGWP will only be valid for the length of time you studied in Canada. Graduates of certain Quebec schools must include an official letter confirming the length of the program and the program code, plus the certificate or official document confirming completion, or an official transcript from a Quebec school board or recognized private school.
As of November 1, 2024, most PGWP applicants need to give proof of language results when they apply. IRCC states the exemption plainly: if you submitted your PGWP application before November 1, 2024, or you are a flight school graduate, you are exempt from the new requirements. Everyone else is assessed under the credential-based levels on the eligibility page:
The level follows the credential, not the institution's name for the program. A university diploma program that is not a degree is assessed under the university-program language rule stated above, while a college program is assessed at CLB 5. If you completed more than one program and seek a combined-length permit, IRCC states you need to meet the higher language requirement to get a PGWP combining both programs. Check which approved tests IRCC accepts and how to convert your results to CLB or NCLC levels on IRCC's language pages before you book a test, and keep the results ready to upload: the online document checklist will not ask for them, and IRCC instructs applicants to upload language proof in the Client information section of the account.
There is no field-of-study requirement for graduates with a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree. For graduates of any other university program and any other college, polytechnic, or non-university program, the requirement depends on when you submitted your study permit application. If you submitted it on or after November 1, 2024, you must graduate in an eligible field of study. If you submitted it before November 1, 2024, you do not need to meet the field-of-study requirements. IRCC states the test by study-permit application date, not by graduation date, so find the receipt date for your study permit application before you conclude anything about your program.
Where the requirement applies, IRCC states you must graduate from a program linked to certain occupations in long-term shortage, and publishes the list of eligible fields of study. Do not infer eligibility from the program title alone: compare the program against the published list, and keep the evidence that shows the match. As with language results, the online checklist will not ask for field-of-study proof, and IRCC instructs applicants to upload it in the Client information section. A program that changed its eligibility status while you were studying needs the same check: IRCC's program pages address programs that became ineligible, including counting time studied before the ineligibility date, and you should read those pages for your program's dates rather than assuming the status at enrolment governs.
Distance learning is assessed by lock-in date, which IRCC defines as the earlier of the date you started your program and the date on the study permit application receipt IRCC sent you. The rules are:
The temporary COVID-19 policy for study completed entirely online from outside Canada between March 2020 and August 31, 2022 is a closed chapter with its own criteria, including having applied for a study permit before starting and having the application approved before the program ended. Study completed online from inside Canada under the pandemic measures counts only until August 31, 2024. If any part of your program was completed outside Canada or online, work out your lock-in date and your in-Canada, in-class share before you estimate the length of permit you may receive. IRCC also states you are not eligible if you completed over 50% of your study program through distance learning, subject to the COVID-19 online-study exception above.
IRCC lists the exclusions directly, and each one is a full bar to a PGWP. You are not eligible if you already received a PGWP; studied English or French as a second language; took general interest or self-improvement courses; received funding or a scholarship from Global Affairs Canada that requires you to return to your home country after graduation; completed over 50% of your program through distance learning, subject to the COVID-19 exception; completed a study program at a non-Canadian institution located in Canada; or completed a course or program at a DLI that is not PGWP-eligible, including curriculum-licensing programs subject to the special-case exceptions. If any exclusion describes you, do not file a PGWP application hoping the officer will waive it. IRCC notes that if you are not eligible for a PGWP, you may still be able to work in Canada after you graduate under another type of permit, which is a separate assessment.
A PGWP may be valid anywhere between 8 months and up to 3 years. Unless you graduated from a master's degree program, the length depends on the length of the study program you completed in Canada. IRCC's validity rules are:
Two caps sit on top of those rules. The length depends on the level and duration of the program and on the expiry date of your passport, whichever comes first. IRCC advises making sure your passport is valid for the full length of time you are eligible for before you apply, because the permit will only be issued for the period your passport is valid. If the passport cap applies, you can apply on paper to extend the PGWP after you get a new passport valid for the entire eligible period. Accelerated programs are treated favourably on length: if you complete a program in less time than its normal length, you may be eligible for a PGWP valid for the full length of the program, so a 1-year program completed in 8 months may still support a 1-year permit.
In most cases, you must apply online for a PGWP. IRCC states you can apply from within Canada or from another country, as long as you are eligible, and you have up to 180 days after you graduate to apply. The online steps IRCC sets out are: make sure you have a scanner or camera and a valid credit or debit card; read the instruction guide for your situation before completing the application, Guide 5580 for applying online from inside Canada or Guide 5487 for applying outside Canada; answer the online tool's questions so it creates your personalized document checklist; and create or sign in to your online account. A paper application is available only in the narrow cases IRCC lists, such as being unable to apply online because of a disability or a problem with the online application, and extensions or condition changes must be made on paper.
Fees are verified on IRCC's fee list, re-checked on November 1, 2026. The fee list states a work permit, including extensions, at $155.00 per person, and an open work permit holder fee of $100.00. IRCC's PGWP instructions state you must pay both the open work permit holder fee and the work permit fee, which together total $255.00 for a PGWP application. Pay the biometrics fee when you submit the application if biometrics apply to you, or you may experience delays. Third-party costs are separate and paid directly to the third party: medical exams, police certificates, language tests, and Visa Application Centre services if you use one. The fee list is dated September 21, 2026; confirm the amounts on the fee list on the day you pay, because fees change and the March 31, 2026 changes were re-checked against this same list.
Biometrics follow the standard temporary-residence pattern IRCC sets out on the PGWP application page. If you are between 14 and 79 years old, you probably need to give fingerprints and a photo, and you only need to give biometrics once every 10 years. You must pay the biometrics fee when you submit your application, get the collection done as soon as you receive the letter telling you to give biometrics, and you have 30 days from the date on that letter. Processing starts after IRCC receives your biometrics. No processing-time figure is stated in this guide: IRCC publishes processing times through its processing-time tool, which varies by application type and volume, and a figure copied from any other source would be stale on arrival.
Two clocks run at once after graduation, and confusing them is the most common status error in this process. The first is the 180-day PGWP application window, running from confirmation of program completion, with the study-permit-validity condition described in Step 2. The second is the expiry of the study permit itself: IRCC states your study permit will expire on the date marked on the permit or 90 days after the day you complete your studies, whichever comes first. If your study permit will expire before you get your marks, IRCC gives two options: apply for a visitor record to stay longer, or leave Canada and apply for a PGWP. If you stay and let the permit expire without changing status, you must apply to restore your status as a student to apply for a PGWP, and you must pay the restoration fee in addition to the PGWP fees, attaching the receipt to the online application because no separate restoration application is needed. If you do not apply within 90 days after your study permit expires, IRCC states you must leave Canada.
Working while you wait is permitted only on stated conditions. Your study permit must be valid, not expired, at the time you submit the PGWP application to be eligible to work while awaiting a decision. IRCC's working-after-completion rules add the full conditions: you were eligible to work off campus during your studies, you applied for a work permit or PGWP before your study permit expired, and you are waiting for a decision. If your study permit expired before you applied and you are restoring status, IRCC states you cannot work until your work permit has been approved. Do not work on the strength of having submitted an application alone: the submission must have been made while the study permit was still valid and the off-campus conditions must have been met during your studies, including not having worked more hours than allowed. If IRCC refuses the work or study permit application, you must stop working and leave Canada, as the working-after-completion page states.
If IRCC approves the application, it issues your documents. If it refuses, it sends a letter telling you why. On approval, read the permit itself before you start work: IRCC notes there may be restrictions on a PGWP because you did not have a medical exam before coming to Canada, preventing work in jobs that bring you into close contact with people, such as health care settings, clinical laboratories, patient attendant roles, medical electives, primary or secondary school settings, child care, domestic work, and in-home care, as well as certain agriculture jobs if you visited or lived in listed countries. To remove those restrictions, you must get a medical exam, including a chest X-ray and blood test, within 90 days of arrival, and then apply on paper to change the conditions on the PGWP. You do not have to provide language proof again if you apply to extend a PGWP because your passport expired before the end of the full validity period.
A PGWP is not extendable as a general matter. The only extension IRCC describes on the application page is the passport-cap extension in Step 7, made on paper. Plan the permit's length as fixed: once it ends, you need another status or another type of permit to keep working, and work experience gained on a PGWP is commonly the bridge applicants use toward other immigration programs, which are outside this guide's scope. Keep copies of the completion letter, the transcript, the language results, the fee receipts, and the permit itself, and keep the study permit and status history that supported the application, because any later application will ask for them.
This guide states no processing time for a PGWP application, because IRCC publishes processing times only through its processing-time tool and they vary with volume; check the tool on the day you apply. It states no restoration fee amount, because the PGWP application page does not show the restoration fee and the fee-list restoration figure is for restoring status as a student with a new study permit, not for a PGWP restoration; confirm the amount on the fee list before you pay. It states no count of PGWP-eligible programs or institutions, and no field-of-study list contents, because both change and the IRCC lists govern. Where a figure was cut, the guide points to the IRCC page that owns it instead of carrying a secondary source's number.
Yes. You do not have to wait for the physical diploma or the graduation ceremony. IRCC states that all you need is an official letter from your school confirming you completed your study program, or an official transcript or a copy of your transcript from your school's website. You have 180 days after your school issues your final marks to apply, and your study permit must have been valid at some point during those 180 days. Do not let the ceremony date set your timetable: the window runs from confirmation of completion, and a study permit expires on the date marked on the permit or 90 days after you complete your studies, whichever comes first.
No. A PGWP is an open work permit. IRCC describes the category as allowing graduates to apply for an open work permit to gain Canadian work experience, and the operational instructions describe the permit in the same open-permit category. No job offer and no Labour Market Impact Assessment is part of the PGWP eligibility test as IRCC states it. That does not mean every graduate qualifies: the eligibility test is about the institution, the program, full-time status, timing, language results, and, where it applies, the field of study. If you are not eligible for a PGWP, IRCC notes you may still be eligible for another type of work permit, which is a separate application with its own requirements.
No. IRCC states you are not eligible for a PGWP if you already received one, and the validity page states you cannot get a PGWP if you already had one after completing an earlier program of study. The one-permit limit is why the choice of program matters before you apply: a short program produces a short permit, and completing a second program later does not produce a second PGWP. If your passport expires before the full period you are eligible for, that is a different situation: IRCC may issue the permit only until your passport expires, and you can apply on paper to extend it once you hold a new passport valid for the entire eligible period.
Start with two dates: the date you submitted your study permit application and the credential you graduated with. Graduates with a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree have no field-of-study requirement. For other university programs and for college, polytechnic, and non-university programs, IRCC states that if you submitted your study permit application on or after November 1, 2024, you must graduate in an eligible field of study, and if you submitted it before that date, you do not need to meet the field-of-study requirements. IRCC publishes the list of eligible fields of study linked to occupations in long-term shortage. Check your program against the current list on IRCC's pages before you apply, and upload proof of an eligible field of study in the Client information section, because the online checklist does not ask for it.
Yes, if you are eligible. IRCC states you can apply for a PGWP from within Canada or from another country, as long as you are eligible, and graduates outside Canada may be eligible if they meet the distance-learning eligibility requirements, or if they completed their program in Canada and then left to apply from outside. The 180-day window and the study-permit-validity rule still apply. If you apply from outside Canada, read the guide for applying for a work permit outside Canada rather than the inside-Canada guide, and expect the biometrics and travel-document steps to apply to your situation. A PGWP approval alone does not get you on a plane: make sure you also hold the travel document you need to return to Canada.
Your work permit will only be issued for the period your passport is valid. IRCC states this plainly on the validity page and advises making sure your passport is valid for the full length of time you are eligible for before you apply. If your passport expires first, you can apply to extend your PGWP, but you must apply on paper after you get a new passport that is valid for the entire period you are eligible for, and you do not have to provide proof of language ability again for that passport-based extension. Renewing the passport before you apply is the simpler path: it avoids a second, paper application for time you were already eligible for.
Figures that could not be verified on an official page were cut from this guide: all PGWP processing times; the restoration fee amount for a PGWP application after a study permit has expired; any count of PGWP-eligible institutions or programs; and the contents of the eligible field-of-study list. Check the IRCC fee list, processing-time tool, DLI list, and field-of-study list linked above for current figures before you apply or pay.