Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) & Co-op Work Permit

The Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) allows international students who have completed a program at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) to work in Canada after graduation. If you applied for your study permit on or after November 1, 2024, and are graduating from a program other than a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral degree, your program must meet the field of study requirement to qualify for a PGWP.

The PGWP is an open work permit, meaning you can work anywhere in Canada and any occupation.

The PGWP is only issued once in your lifetime.

The length of the PGWP depends on the length of the study program completed in Canada. A PGWP may be valid anywhere between 8 months and up to 3 years. Unless you’ve graduated from a master’s degree program, the length of your permit will depend on the length of the study program you completed in Canada. Find out more about how long a PGWP can be valid.

If I complete my 2-year program in 1-year, will it impact my PGWP length?
Yes, it may. Students are recommended to not complete their program in a shortened timeframe. As per IRCC, “if the officer notes that the duration of studies was shorter than the duration of the program, as indicated in the letter confirming the completion of the program of study, and the program was not completed in an accelerated form, the PGWP may be issued in accordance with the duration of studies.” For example, if you managed to complete a 2-year Diploma program within 12 months, your PGWP may only be issued for the duration of the time spent on studies, which in this case, would be 12 months.

How will the expiry date on my passport impact my PGWP length?
The PGWP cannot be issued past the expiry date of your passport. If your passport expires soon, then you should apply for a new one. Contact your country’s consulate or embassy in Canada for instructions on how to renew your passport.

If you don’t receive the new passport before the deadline to apply for your PGWP then you should go ahead and apply with your current passport. You may get a shorter PGWP than you are eligible for. In this case, when you submit your initial PGWP application, include a Letter of Explanation about your passport and request a condition or remark to be stated on your PGWP regarding your passport expiry.

If you receive your new passport while your PGWP is still in process, you may upload a copy of it through IRCC’s Client Contact page.

If you obtain your new passport after receiving your PGWP, you can apply for the remaining time of your PGWP with a paper application before your current permit expires.

Online Courses & PGWP
To be eligible for the PGWP program, students should complete at least 50% of their program in person inside Canada. Although you may take some online classes, it can impact the length of your PGWP, for this reason, students are advised to only take in-person or blended courses.

Students who started their program before September 1, 2024, may be eligible for temporary measures allowing them to take online courses without impacting their PGWP eligibility and PGWP length. For more detailed information, please refer to the Distance Learning section on the IRCC website.

To be eligible for the PGWP program, students must meet ALL of the following requirements:

• Graduate
  Must have graduated from an eligible Designated Learning Institution. 

• Complete a Minimum 8-Month Program that leads to a Degree, Diploma, or Certificate
  If you are in a diploma or certificate program and you apply for a study permit on or after Nov 1, 2024, your program must meet a field of study requirement.

  If you are in a university undergraduate degree, master’s degree, or doctoral degree, you do NOT need to meet the field of study requirement.

• Apply for PGWP within the 180-Day Deadline
  You should apply for your PGWP within 180 days of receiving written confirmation of program completion or the expiry date of your study permit, whichever comes first. Your study permit must have been valid at some point during the 180-day period. For example, if your study permit expires on April 30, 2025, and you receive your confirmation of program completion on May 27, 2025, you should count 180 days from April 30, 2025. This means you must apply for your PGWP before the end of October 2025.
• Maintain Full-Time Student Status
  Students must maintain full-time status in Canada throughout their studies, with the exception of regularly Scheduled Breaks, Authorized Leave, and final academic term.
• Complete Minimum 50% of Program in-person
  Students who started their program from September 1, 2024 onwards, must complete at least 50% of their program in-person from inside Canada. Any time spent studying outside Canada can be deducted from the length of your PGWP. For students who started their program between March 1, 2020 – August 31, 2024, please check the following page for special measures that were placed by IRCC.

• Meet the Language Requirements: As of November 1, 2024, all PGWP applicants must provide proof of language ability.

  	For English	For French
  Minimum Score Required	Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7	Niveaux de competence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 7 in all 4 language areas
  Testing Options	Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) General International English Language Testing System (IELTS) General Pearson Test of English (PTE) Core option	Test d’évaluation de français (TEF) Canada option Test de connaissance du français (TCF) Canada option

  	Language Test	Reading	Writing	Listening	Speaking
  CLB 7 Equivalent (English)	CELPIP (General)	7	7	7	7
  	IELTS (General Training)	6.0	6.0	6.0	6.0
  	PTE Core	60-68	69-78	60-70	68-75
  NCLC 7 Equivalent (French)	TEF Canada	434-461	428-471	434-461	456-493
  	TCF Canada	453-498	10-11	458-502	10-11

Refer to the language test equivalency charts to find equivalences between the CLB, the NCLC,  
and the results of language tests from designated testing organizations.
 

Review the full PGWP eligibility criteria on the IRCC website.

In order to apply for your PGWP from inside Canada, you must apply within 90 days after receiving written confirmation of program completion or when your study permit expires, whichever comes first.

Example 1: Your study permit expires on February 28, 2025. You receive your completion letter on January 27, 2025. To make an inside Canada application, you must apply for your PGWP no later than Feb. 28, 2025 (BEFORE the expiry of your study permit). You will not have the full 90 days.

Example 2: You receive your completion letter on January 27, 2025. Your study permit expires on December 31, 2025. You will have 90 days from January 27, 2025, to apply for your PGWP. Even though the expiry date on the study permit is December 31, 2025, the study permit will automatically become invalid after 90 days, which means you cannot legally stay in Canada beyond this period with your study permit.

If you think you will not be able to apply for your PGPW within the 90-day period, please consult with an International Student Advisor regarding your options.

1. My study permit is expiring soon. What should I do?
You should ensure that your study permit is valid for at least up until a week after your Senate Meeting date (also referred to as graduation date). Check KPU’s Graduation webpage to see approximately when your credential will be conferred.

2. I've completed my studies, but I haven't received my completion letter, and my study permit has expired. What should I do?
If you failed to extend your study permit before it’s expiry date, you have up to 90 days after your study permit expires to apply for a PGWP and restore your status as a student. Please refer to the IRCC website for more information. You will not be able to work until you receive a decision on your work permit application.

3. Can I apply for my PGWP while on maintained status?
Students in this situation have the following options:

Below is a summary of the documents required to apply for your PGWP. For more detailed information, visit the IRCC website.

1. PGWP Letter (Completion Letter) & Immigration Purpose Document
   • If you applied for graduation and meet all your program requirements, you will be emailed both the PGWP letter and the Immigration Purpose Document within 3-5 business days after your graduation/senate date. You don’t need to apply for these documents.
   • Merge both documents and submit them as one file.
   • Note that you cannot receive a completion letter unless and until you have applied for graduation. (For deadlines on when to apply for Graduation, visit kpu.ca/graduation) 
      
2. Official Transcript: Apply at the start of your last term through the Online-Self Service portal. Remember to select the option “hold for grades”. If you transferred courses from another DLI, attach official transcripts from all institutes.
3. Valid passport & Study Permit
   • Attach scanned copy of study permit and all pages of passport that show your date of birth, country of origin, and any pages with stamps, visas, or markings - be sure to merge all the pages into one document.
   • If your passport is expiring soon, refer to the information provided here.
4. Language test results
   • Until IRCC updates their document checklist, please attach your results under the ‘Client Information Section’
5. Letter of explanation (if applicable, depending on your circumstances)
6. IMM 5710e form: Refer to Guide to Completing IMM 5710e for PGWP found on our International Advising Webpage
7. Digital photo of yourself
8. Required fees. (As of right now, that’s $255)

You may apply online only through the IRCC website. Effective June 21, 2024, applicants can no longer apply for their PGWP at the border.

 The following guide: Guide to Completing IMM 5710e for PGWP is intended for reference only to assist you in completing the IMM form for your PGWP application. For the most current and detailed instructions, please refer to the IRCC website. 

You may travel while your PGWP application is in progress, but it is important to ensure that your study permit or temporary resident status/ eTA is valid during travel. Remember, study permit becomes invalid 90 days after you receive written confirmation of program completion even though the expiry date on your study permit may be beyond the 90-day period.

• Re-enter as a Student
  If you applied for your PGWP with a valid Study Permit, you may leave and re-enter Canada as a student (provided that your study permit and TRV/eTa are valid) and work while your application is still in process.
• Re-enter as a Worker
  If you applied for your PGWP while outside of Canada, you may enter Canada as a worker and begin working upon entry. Make sure to carry your approval letter with you while traveling.
• Re-enter as a Visitor
  If your study permit has expired and your PGWP application is in process, you may leave and re-enter Canada as a visitor (need a valid TRV/eTA). You may be eligible to work without a work permit until IRCC makes a decision on your application and provided that you applied for your PGWP on a valid study permit.

For more detailed information, please refer to the IRCC website.

* Remember, a border officer can refuse entry to a person for a number of reasons, including security, criminal, or medical concerns.

For your spouse or common-law partner to be eligible for a spousal work permit while you are applying for/have a Post-Graduation Work Permit, you must be employed in TEER 0 or 1 occupations, or select TEER 2 or 3 occupations, and have at least 16 months remaining on your work permit at the time of application.

The co-op work permit allows international students to work and participate in their co-op during their studies. You need a co-op work permit if you are accepted into the KPU co-op program, practicum, or internship which is a mandatory component of your program. The work can be paid or unpaid. For more information on COWP eligibility, check out IRCC’s webpage:  Work as a co-op student or intern.

If you are in a co-op program, you must have your co-op work permit before your first work term in Canada. It is important to maintain your co-op work permit status during all your co-op work terms.

For steps on how to apply for a COWP, please refer to KPU’s Co-op website.

The following guide: Guide to Completing IMM 5710e for Coop Work Permit is intended for reference only to assist you in completing the IMM form for your COWP application. For the most current and detailed instructions, please refer to the IRCC website.

• Your co-op work permit allows you to work full-time during your co-op work term, but only for the specific number of hours approved by KPU. It does not authorize you to engage in other types of work, such as regular on-campus or off-campus work.
• You are responsible for tracking your work hours. Once you reach the required co-op hours as outlined by your program, you must stop using your co-op work permit, even if it is still valid.
• If you wish to continue working with the same employer after completing the required co-op hours, you may work under your study permit's work authorization (for on-campus or off-campus work), as long as you meet the eligibility criteria.

International students enrolled in a 9-credit co-op work term are considered full-time students. You are permitted to work additional on-campus or off-campus jobs under your study permit’s work authorization while completing your co-op term, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria.