Post-graduation work permit · Checked Oct 2026
Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP): Rules and Job Strategy
Short answer
A post-graduation work permit (PGWP) is an open work permit for graduates of eligible programs at PGWP-eligible schools. You generally have 180 days from the date your school confirms you've completed your program to apply, you can get a PGWP only once, and it lasts up to the length of your program — or 3 years for programs of 2 years or more and eligible master's degrees. Since November 1, 2024, most applicants also need language test results. Checked on canada.ca, October 2026.
- Apply within
- 180 days
- of confirmation you completed your program
- Maximum length
- 3 years
- Programs of 2+ years, eligible master's
- Language (degree)
- CLB 7
- CLB 5 for college and other programs
- How many
- One
- Not if you already had a PGWP
Who this is for: Final-year international students planning their application, and PGWP holders who want to turn their permit into skilled Canadian work experience for permanent residence.
What a PGWP is
A PGWP is an open work permit: it isn't tied to one employer or job. Because it's open, an employer doesn't need a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to hire you while your PGWP is valid. The skilled work experience you gain on it can help you qualify for permanent residence through the Canadian Experience Class.
Sources: IRCC: About the post-graduation work permit (PGWP); IRCC: Who needs a Labour Market Impact Assessment — checked October 2026.
Eligibility essentials
- Program and school: you completed a program of at least 8 months (900 hours in Quebec) at a PGWP-eligible designated learning institution.
- Full-time study: you studied full time in every semester; your final semester may be part-time.
- Timing: you apply within 180 days of confirmation that you completed your program, and your study permit was valid at some point in those 180 days.
- Language: CLB 7 / NCLC 7 in all four abilities for bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees; CLB 5 / NCLC 5 for college and other non-university programs. Test results must be less than 2 years old when you apply. This applies to applications submitted on or after November 1, 2024; graduates of PGWP-eligible flight schools are exempt.
- Field of study: none for bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. For most other programs, whether your field must be on IRCC's eligible list (by CIP code) depends on when you applied for your study permit — IRCC revised the list on July 4, 2025.
- Once only: you can't get a PGWP if you already had one after an earlier program.
Sources: IRCC: Post-graduation work permit — who can apply; IRCC: PGWP language level from your test results; IRCC notice: Update on the PGWP field-of-study requirement — checked October 2026.
How long your PGWP lasts
| Your program | PGWP length |
|---|---|
| Less than 8 months | Not eligible |
| 8 months to less than 2 years | Up to the length of your program (a 9-month program can get up to 9 months) |
| 2 years or more | Up to 3 years |
| Master's degree under 2 years (at least 8 months) | Up to 3 years — not for certificate or diploma programs |
Your PGWP can't run past your passport's expiry date, so renew a passport that's close to expiring before you apply.
Source: IRCC: About the post-graduation work permit (PGWP) — checked October 2026.
Timeline: final semester to first PGWP job
- Final semester: book an approved language test early — results must be under 2 years old on the day you apply. Check your passport expiry.
- Completion: the 180-day window starts when your school confirms you've completed your program. From then, you generally must stop working unless you've applied for a work permit before your study permit expired.
- Apply while your study permit is valid. IRCC's help centre says that if you applied with a valid study permit, had completed your program, were eligible to work off campus and kept to the 24-hour limit during classes, you can work full time while you wait for a decision.
- If your study permit already expired: you have up to 90 days after it expires to apply for a PGWP and restore your status as a student, but the work-while-waiting rule above doesn't apply.
Sources: IRCC: Post-graduation work permit — how to apply; IRCC help centre: Can I work while waiting for my PGWP?; IRCC help centre: Can I keep working after I've finished my study program? — checked October 2026.
Maintained status basics
"Maintained status" means you applied to extend or change your permit before it expired, so you can stay — and keep working under your current conditions — until IRCC decides.
- IRCC must receive your application before your permit expires; for online applications the cut-off is midnight UTC on the expiry day.
- Online applicants usually get a work permit extension letter (WP-EXT) to show employers with their current permit.
- On an employer-specific permit, you keep the same employer, job and work location while you wait.
- While on maintained status you generally can't apply for a SIN or update its expiry date, or renew provincial or territorial documents such as a driver's licence or health card.
Source: IRCC: What to do if your work permit expires or is expiring — checked October 2026.
Job search strategy during your PGWP
Practical advice, not a government rule — the clock on a PGWP is the constraint, so plan backwards from your permit's expiry date.
- Aim for TEER 0–3 roles if you want the Canadian Experience Class. Look up any job title with the NOC code finder and read the TEER 0, TEER 1, TEER 2 and TEER 3 hubs.
- Do the maths early: CEC needs at least 1,560 hours of skilled, paid work in Canada. A 3-year PGWP gives you room; an 8–12-month one doesn't — start applying in your final semester.
- Say "open work permit" on your resume and in screening calls, with the expiry date. Many recruiters don't know a PGWP needs no LMIA.
- Keep proof as you go: pay stubs, a reference letter listing duties and hours, and your NOC code — the NOC resume guide shows how to match duties to the NOC description.
- Tailor every application: run the ATS resume checker and write a specific cover letter.
More detail: PGWP to PR job search guide.
From PGWP to permanent residence: Canadian Experience Class basics
- At least 1 year of skilled work in Canada in the 3 years before you apply — full time, or an equal amount part time (1,560 hours, counted at 30 hours a week).
- The job must be in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 of the NOC, and the work must be paid. Volunteer work and unpaid internships don't count.
- Work done while you were a full-time student — including co-op terms — doesn't count.
- Language: CLB 7 for TEER 0 or 1 jobs; CLB 5 for TEER 2 or 3 jobs, in all four abilities.
- No job offer and no Canadian education are required. You must plan to live outside Quebec.
- Since March 25, 2025, Express Entry no longer gives CRS points for job offers (a temporary anti-fraud measure). IRCC has announced Express Entry changes for high-wage occupations taking effect November 3, 2026 — check the notice before you rely on them.
Estimate your score with the CRS calculator.
Sources: IRCC: Express Entry — Canadian Experience Class; IRCC: Express Entry — job offer; IRCC news (Dec 2024): Canada takes action to reduce fraud in Express Entry; IRCC news (Oct 2026): Changes to Express Entry for high-wage occupations — checked October 2026.
Provincial options for graduates
Several provinces run nominee streams or pathways for their own graduates, and they open, close and change often. We list only streams we could confirm on official provincial sites in October 2026 — open your province from the international students hub.