IRCC Latest Updates

Latest updates

On January 14, 2025, IRCC confirmed the policy changes for spousal work permits.

The new policies might affect TWU current students:

Effective January 21, 2025, only spouses of certain international students and foreign workers will be able to apply for a family Open Work Permit or Spousal Open Work Permit.

During your studies at TWU, for your spouse or common-law partner to be eligible for a spousal open work permit, students must be enrolled in a doctoral program, master’s degree program which is 16 months or longer, or select programs at TWU. You (the principal applicant) do not need to have a job offer or a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Check here to learn more.
While you are applying for/have a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), for your spouse or common-law partner to be eligible for applying a spousal work permit, you must be employed in TEER 0 or 1 occupations, or selected TEER 2 or 3 occupations (the list will be available January 21, 2025), and have at least 16 months remaining on your work permit at the time of application. Dependent children are no longer eligible for a work permit.
For your spouse/common-law partner to be able to extend their open work permit based on the validity of your PGWP, you must include proof that you (the principal applicant) have skilled employment in TEER 0 or 1 occupations, or selected TEER 2 or 3 occupations (the list will be available January 21, 2025). Without proof of your skilled employment, your spouse/common-law partner can only extend their status in Canada as a visitor until you can prove that you have skilled employment in TEER 0 or 1 occupations, or selected TEER 2 or 3 occupations. In addition, your spouse/common-law partner is only eligible to apply for an spouse open work permit if your PGWP has at least 16 months of remaining validity.
If your common-law partner or spouse has a spousal work permit under the previous rules, it will remain valid until the expiry date. In situations where students may need more time to complete their program at TWU or where family members received a shorter work permit than the principal applicant, your in-Canada family members (including spouses and dependent children) can apply to extend their work permit as long as:
- they are applying under the same criteria as the current work permit, and
- the requested duration of the renewal matches that of the existing study or work permit of the principal applicant.

TWU Immigration Adviser (RCICs/RISIAs) will keep an eye on updates to the IRCC website and will update our records for TWU international students as new information becomes available.

If you are a TWU student with a valid study permit and need further clarification regarding the new IRCC policies, you can use the following methods to access the most up-to-date information on IRCC policies through the following methods:

Method 1: Contact TWU Immigration Adviser (RCICs/RISIAs) through our Service Hub online form ⁠HERE. We need to review your study permits and academic records to follow up on any immigration-related concerns. DO NOT send emails to us.
Method 2: Students are welcome to sign up for weekly immigration advising workshops. Even though each workshop has a specific topic, we still provide the most up-to-date IRCC policies every week to students who attend the workshops. Explore our most updated weekly workshop schedule on the TWU Event Calendar.

*Last updated January 16, 2024.

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IRCC Policy (Updated September 18, 2024)

On September 18, 2024, Canada announced changes to the temporary residence programs, which includes study and work permits. We recognize that some announced changes likely have raised concerns for prospective and current students. We are committed to supporting our students during this time.

At this time, based on ongoing conversations with the provincial government and anticipated enrolment plans, we are confident that international students who accept a TWU graduate program offer will receive a supporting provincial attestation letter for their study permit application.

Please take note of these important details relevant to graduate program applicants/current students:

As of 2025, master's and doctoral students will be included in the cap and require a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL). Admitted applicants will receive a PAL from TWU Admissions Team after they accept their offer of admission.
Graduate certificate, graduate diploma and visiting students already required a PAL since 2024.
The cap does not impact study permit validity or study permit extension applications in Canada.
As of 2025, if your study permit is expiring and you need to extend it to start a new/different program, you will need a PAL. You will not need a PAL to extend your study permit to continue in the same program.
Graduate students of master’s degree programs continue to be eligible for Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP) for 3 years, even if their program of study is less than 2 years, so long as they meet ALL PGWP eligibility requirements. Graduate certificates and diplomas are not master's degrees and thus do not qualify for this.
While graduates from master's and doctoral degree programs will continue to be eligible for Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP) without a field of study requirement, there are proposed changes to the requirements, such as proof of language skills having been introduced.
Later this year, spouses and common-law partners of Master's degree students will only be eligible for spousal work permits if the program the student is enrolled in is at least 16 months in duration. There are no changes for spouses or common-law partners of doctoral students.
You can review the original governmental news release for background information.

On Dec 7, 2023, Canada announced that the cost-of-living financial requirement for study permit applicants will be raised because the value had not been changed since the early 2000s and hasn’t kept up with living costs over time. Moving forward, this threshold will be adjusted each year when Statistics Canada updates the low-income cut-off (LICO). This change applies to new study permit applications received on or after January 1, 2024.

IRCC Policy (Updated April 29, 2024)

On April 29, 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) officially confirmed that they will not be extending the temporary policy that allowed some international students to work more than 20 hours (unlimited hours) off-campus per week while studying full-time.

As of May 1, 2024, international students will be authorized to work no more than 20 hours off-campus per week while studying full-time, based on regular Canadian Immigration Law R186(V).

Background: On October 7, 2022, and December 7, 2023, IRCC released temporary policies to allow certain groups of study permit holders to work off-campus for more than 20 hours per week. On April 29, 2024, this temporary policy has been officially confirmed to end on April 30, 2024.

In the announcement from IRCC today, they also confirmed that they plan to allow students to work up to 24 hours starting in Fall 2024. However, this policy has not been officially published on the IRCC official website yet.

Reminder: Whether international students can work while studying depends on their study permit issue dates, study permit conditions, academic programs , and the academic status. Students must learn the IRCC specific requirements and know how to maintain correct academic status by themselves. They need to maintain academic status themselves to be eligible to work in Canada. It is students' own responsibility to maintain a valid study permit and academic status to be able to work while studying at TWU.

If you are current international students at TWU, and you have questions about the new IRCC updates, please contact TWU RCICs or RISIAs through International Student Help, using this online form.

IRCC Policy (Updated January 22, 2024 & March 1, 2024)

On January 22, 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced some changes that will greatly impact international students.

Please note that the changes will not impact all international students at TWU.

Here are the key points:

1) The implementation of a Temporary Cap on the number of international students issued study visas.

These caps will not impact current study permit holders or study permit renewals and do not include those pursuing master's and doctoral degrees.
To TWU, these caps will only affect new study permit applicants who are applying for TWU non-master's/doctoral degree programs. As of January 22 2024, every study permit application submitted to IRCC will also require an attestation letter from a province or territory (PT).
- In BC, the new provincial attestation letter system will be effective as of March 4, 2024. Provincial attestation letters are required for new study permit applications for those applying to non-master's/doctoral degree programs at TWU. The provincial attestation letter (PAL) is a verification letter that will be sent from the Province to the institution, and then from the institution to the international applicants. Applicants will submit the attestation letter along with their study permit application to IRCC.
- Check HERE to learn more about how the BC Government issues Provincial Attestation letters to international students.
- Check HERE to learn how the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) affects TWU international students.

2) IRCC has also announced changes to the eligibility criteria of the Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP).

Starting September 1, 2024, international students who graduate from programs provided under the so-called Public College-Private Partnerships will not be able to apply for the PGWP. However, this change will not impact current PGWP-eligible programs at TWU. TWU's PGWP-eligible programs can still be found on the IRCC Official Website HERE.
IRCC has also announced that international students who have graduated from master's programs or other short graduate-level programs will be able to apply for a 3-year work permit. The details have been published, please check the updated information under the section of "Length of the PGWP". Check HERE to review the detailed information.
Spousal open work permits will now only be available to spouses of international students enrolled in master’s and doctoral programs. The spouses of international students in other levels of study, including undergraduate and college programs, will no longer be eligible. This change will impact some international students who plan to bring their spouses to Canada. If you plan to invite your family members to Canada, check HERE to review the detailed information.

If you are current international students at TWU, and you have questions about the new IRCC updates, please contact TWU RCICs or RISIAs through International Student Help, using this online form.

*Last updated March 1, 2024.

IRCC Policy (Updated December 7, 2023)

On December 7, 2023, the Canadian government announced a slew of measures affecting international students in Canada.

It is important to note that not all international students will qualify for these new measures below. Each international student has a unique study permit and academic background. Students should double-check their own study permits and academic records to ensure whether they are qualified for the new measures.

Allowing a certain group of international students the right to work more than 20 hours per week off campus. Canada’s immigration minister announced that the policy would be extended until April 30, 2024. Check HERE to review the detailed information.
Immigration Minister also announced that the cost-of-living financial requirement for study permit applicants would be raised from $10,000 CAD to $20,635 for a single applicant in 2024. This change will effect students’ IRCC study permit applications from Jan. 1, 2024.
Allowing a certain group of international students to take online course which will not impact their PGWP applications in the future. Check HERE to review the detailed information under "Special Note 2".
Allowing a certain group of PGWP holders to extend their work permits. This change only effects people who are holding PGWPs.

If you are international students at TWU, and you have questions about the new IRCC updates, please contact TWU RCICs or RISIAs through the Service Hub, using this online form.

*Last updated December 7, 2023.

IRCC Policy (Updated September 6, 2023)

IRCC extends transition period for distance learning measures to December 2023

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced they are extending distance learning measures that were implemented throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Some international students who completed less than 50% of their PGWP-eligible studies outside of Canada will be eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) until December 31, 2023.

Before the pandemic, all international students needed to complete no more than 50% of their studies online, and time spent studying online outside of Canada was not counted toward PGWP eligibility. Due to the inability to travel throughout the pandemic, IRCC removed the online study restriction for those students who:

Were enrolled in PGWP-eligible programs in progress in March 2020
Began PGWP-eligible programs between March 2020 and August 31, 2022

This means anyone who began their studies overseas prior to August 31, 2022, can use 100% of that time towards their PGWP eligibility. For a student who started their studies between September 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023, only 50% of the time can be counted.

The measure and current extension does not apply for students studying abroad after September 1, 2023, regardless of when they began their studies. It also does not apply to students who enrolled in programs after August 31, 2022.

Note: If students enrolled TWU Program after August 31, 2022, you need to complete no more than 50% of their studies online, and time spent studying online outside of Canada was not counted toward PGWP eligibility.

For any questions about the PGWP, TWU international students can use the Service Hub to connect with TWU RCICs or RISIAs.

*Last updated September 6, 2023.

IRCC Policy (Updated August 4, 2023)

As of Jun 27, 2023, some work permit holders no longer require a study permit to study in Canada. This temporary policy ends on Jun 27, 2026.

As a temporary measure, some international students can work more than 20 hours a week starting from Nov 15, 2022 to Dec 31, 2023. If you are eligible for the temporary measure, you might also be exempt from requiring a co-op work permit for co-op placements during this period.

As of Jun 27, 2023, some work permit holders do not require a study permit to study in Canada. Learn about the temporary policy.

Even if you qualify for the temporary policy mentioned above, we would still generally advise applying for a study permit for two important reasons:

Ensuring that you remain authorized to study until the end of your program, even if your work permit expires.
Maintaining eligibility for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP), in case you choose to apply for one upon completion of your program.

*Last updated August 4, 2023.

The information on this page is based on information available at the time of publishing.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and other government departments are constantly revising their policies. Links for the most current information have been provided for each question; however updates may be published elsewhere

See IRCC's website for the most up to date information.
You can also review program delivery instructions for officers.

If you still have questions related to immigration, health insurance, and life as an international student in Canada?

Workshops and Seminars: Our workshops and seminars are conducted regularly to help international students stay informed and empowered. Link to TWU Calendar. You can find the upcoming events hosted by TWU RCICs or RISIAs.

Service Hub: For personalized assistance in resolving immigration-related questions, please submit your inquiries through Service Hub - International Student Help. Our team is here to provide specific support and help with any concerns you may have. Please note that TWU RCICs or RISIAs can only assist international students, their spouses, common-law partners, and children. We do not submit IRCC applications on behalf of international students.

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