For many students, the thought of post graduate work is an exciting prospect. After all that hard work at university, you finally have a chance to use your qualification and get a job in your field. But what if you’re an international student? You may be wondering how you can stay in Canada after you finish your studies. Luckily, there is a process called the Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) which allows recent graduates to stay in Canada and gain work experience. In this blog post, we’ll outline exactly what the PGWP is and how to go about getting one. So keep reading!

What is a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)?

If you are an international student who has graduated from a Canadian Designated Learning Institution (DLI), you can apply for a PGWP. The PGWP is an open work permit which allows you to work anywhere in Canada.

How can I become eligible for a PGWP?

To be eligible for PGWP, you must:

• be a foreign national
• be least 18 years old
• have studied full-time in Canada in a program of at least 8 months. The study program must have been completed at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) and at a specific level.
• apply within 180 days of the completion of your study program

Find out the full details about PGWP eligibility.

How long will it take me to get a PGWP?

A PGWP takes approximately between 80 days to 180 days to process. You are allowed to work in Canada while you wait for your PGWP as long as you applied before the expiry date of your student permit.

How many times can I make an application for a PGWP?

You can only make an application for a PGWP once.

How can the PGWP help me become a resident of Canada?

One of the purposes of Canada’s Post Graduation Work Program is to provide an efficient path for international students in Canada to gain permanent residence status in the country.

This is done by bridging Canadian education into full-time work experience in the country. By doing this, a candidate puts themselves in a better position to apply under the Canadian Express Entry immigration system.

If you have a Canadian educational credential in addition to work experience this will give you extra points towards your comprehensive ranking system (CRS) score and will make you more competitive amongst other applicants in obtaining permanent residency.

A Canadian educational credential and work experience can also be used if you are applying for any of Canada’s Provincial nominee programs (PNPs), or the Quebec Experience Class program.

When will I need to take my IELTS test for the PGWP application?

While you don’t need to prove your language proficiency for the PGWP, you will need to for application to one of Canada’s permanent residency programs. Proving your language proficiency is an important step in this process and the better you do in your IELTS test, the more CRS points you can accumulate towards your Permanent Residency application.

The PGWP is an important document that will allow you to work and live in Canada after graduation. If you are planning on staying in Canada after your studies, it’s important to start preparing for the IELTS test now. This will ensure that you have everything ready when the time comes to apply for your permanent residency. Good luck with your preparations and we wish you all the best in your future endeavours!

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