What changes in Canada PGWP as IRCC drops field of study requirement for college graduates?

NEW DELHI: Canada has announced significant changes to its postgraduation work permit (PGWP) programme eliminating the field of study requirement for college graduates, which was implemented late last year. The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) policy shift aims to provide international students greater flexibility when transitioning from education to employment in Canada.

International students who applied for a study permit to pursue bachelor’s or master’s degree programmes at Canadian colleges after November 1, 2024, will no longer face restrictions based on their field of study when applying for work permits after graduation.

This change brings college students in line with university graduates (bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD) who were already exempt from these restrictions.

“These students must prove their English or French language skills with a minimum level of Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) 7 in English or Niveaux de competence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 7 in French in all 4 language areas,” said Canadian Bureau for International Education CEO Larissa Bezo in a LinkedIn post.

“This change applies to students who applied for a study permit after November 1, 2024, to pursue a college bachelor’s or master’s degree program,” the post added.

PGWP Eligibility: New language proficiency

While easing field of study restrictions, the IRCC has simultaneously introduced new language requirements for PGWP applicants. The new benchmarks vary depending on the level of education:

• University graduates (Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD): Must meet a minimum of Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) 7 or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 7 across all four language skills — reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
• College graduates: Need to demonstrate language proficiency at CLB 5 or NCLC 5.

Flight school graduates remain eligible for PGWP without a field of study or language proficiency requirements.

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How long is a PGWP?

The duration of the PGWP depends on the duration of the completed study programme:

• Programmes between 8 months and less than 2 years: The PGWP will be issued for the same duration as the programme.
• Programmes lasting 2 years or more: Graduates can apply for a 3-year PGWP, providing extended work opportunities in Canada .

This flexibility ensures that international students have enough time to gain work experience, explore career opportunities, and eventually apply for permanent residency.

Passport validity, work permit extensions

The work permit cannot exceed passport validity. International students whose passports expire before their eligible PGWP period should:

• Renew their passport before applying for PGWP to avoid a shorter work permit.
• Apply for an extension, through a paper application, after renewing their passport.