Body
Latest Updates
Get timely updates on immigration, work eligibility, and health insurance for international students.
Disclaimer
The immigration information on this page has been reviewed and endorsed by Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) or Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIAs) in compliance with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations. However, this is not a legal document and information may change without notice. Always refer to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for the most up-to-date information.
Overview of Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)
A post-graduation work permit (PGWP) allows you to remain in Canada and work full-time after you complete a certificate, diploma, or degree program that is at least 8 months in length.
You do not need a job offer to apply and can work anywhere in Canada in any occupation. Certain jobs require a medical exam, such as those involving work with children or in health care settings. You are not allowed to work in jobs at risk of exploitation.
Benefits of applying for PGWP
A PGWP is a practical way to advance your career goals and gain Canadian work experience after completing your studies at TWU. For students who are interested in applying for Canadian permanent residency (PR), it provides an opportunity to gain one year of skilled work experience in Canada, which might be helpful for certain PR programs.
You can only apply for the PGWP once in your lifetime. If you are unsure if you will stay or return to Canada after your studies, consider applying for the PGWP in case your plans change, since you will lose the opportunity to apply 180 days after officially completing your program.
Eligibility requirements to TWU students
The PGWP Eligibility Requirements are set up by IRCC, not by schools.
To be eligible for a PGWP, generally, you must meet all of the following requirements:
- You have completed a PGWP-eligible program at TWU.
- TWU non-theological degree-programs (including bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees programs) are PGWP-eligible programs.
- TWU's theological degree programs are not PGWP-eligible programs.
- TWU’s diploma/certificate programs are not PGWP-eligible programs.
- TWU’s TLC English language learning programs are not PGWP-eligible programs.
- You have studied full-time for immigration purposes each academic session without taking gaps in studies that are not considered actively pursuing studies. You may take scheduled program breaks, such as winter break for all students or summer break for most undergraduate students.
- You have completed at least 50% of your program in person in Canada.
- You have met the student permit conditions listed on your study permit. See here for the detailed study permit conditions set by IRCC.
- Check here for the most detailed and up-to-date PGWP eligibility requirements set by IRCC.
In normal circumstances, online courses completed outside Canada do not count towards the length of your PGWP.
Special Note 1: If students enrolled TWU Program after August 31, 2022, students 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.
- If you travel outside of Canada and take online courses outside of Canada, which will not counted toward PGWP eligibility. For example, if you stay outside of Canada and take online courses from your home country for 3 months, your PGWP eligibility will be reduced by those 3 months. If you take online courses for more than 50% of your program's total courses, you will lose your PGWP eligibility.
- If you take online courses inside of Canada, you need to complete no more than 50% of your studies online. For example, if your program needs you complete 100 credits in total, you must take less 50 credits online. Otherwise, you will lose PGWP Eligibility.
Special Note 2: If students enrolled TWU Program from March 2020 and August 31, 2022, and they used to take online courses or you plan to take online courses, note that IRCC has recently announced a new policy that impacts international students planning to apply for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) while taking online/distance learning courses.
- From March 2020 to August 31, 2022 : 100% online due to COVID-19, outside of Canada (no impact your PGWP Eligibility and Length)
- From September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2024: Students must complete at least 50% of their program inside Canada (online or in-class). The time spent studying outside of Canada before August 31, 2024, won’t be deducted from the length of their PGWP as long as it constitutes less than 50% of their program(in total credits) of study.
- On or after September 1, 2024: You must complete at least 50% of your program in class inside Canada. The time spent studying outside of Canada will be deducted from the length of your PGWP.
Special Note 3: If you are a TWU student with a valid study permit and plan to apply for the PGWP after graduating on or after November 1, 2024, please note that the new policy requires you to provide a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 for university graduates, in addition to the above existing PGWP eligibility requirements.
- Your English language test results must be less than 2 years old when you submit your PGWP application. Check HERE see which English language tests are accepted by IRCC for your PGWP application.
- The new requirements regarding "Field of study requirement" mainly apply to students who study at public colleges, not university degree-program students. TWU is a university, not a public college, which means the "Field of study requirement" requirements do not affect TWU's existing PGWP-eligible programs.
The length of the work permit ranges from 8 months to 3 years based on the length of your full-time program.
Length of the program you completed is less than 8 months
You are not eligible for a PGWP.
Length of the program you completed at least 8 months, but less than 2 years
IRCC may give you a PGWP that is valid for up to the same length as your study program.
For example, if you complete a 9-month program, IRCC may give you a work permit for up to 9 months.
Regular Policy: Officers may issue 3‑year post-graduation work permits to individuals who complete a master’s or doctoral degree in Canada when the eligible DLI has confirmed in the written confirmation of program completion that the degree is 16 to 23 months in length, and does not include regularly scheduled breaks.
Based on Latest Updates on February 5, 2024: Starting on February 15, 2024, 3-year post-graduation work permit will be available to those who are graduating from a master’s degree program that is less than 2 years and who meet all other PGWP eligibility criteria. The length of PGWPs for programs other than master’s degrees will continue to align with the length of the study program, to a maximum of 3 years.
Length of the program you completed more than 2 years
IRCC may give you a 3-year PGWP.
If have you completed more than 1 program
You may be able to get a PGWP that combines the length of each program.
Each of the programs you completed must be
- PGWP-eligible and
- at least 8 months in length
You can’t get a PGWP if you already had one after completing an earlier program of study.
If the combined length of the programs is 2 years or longer, the work permit may be valid for up to 3 years.
Insert information for heading 12 here.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I work after applying for the PGWP?
After submitting your PGWP application online, you may immediately begin working full-time while your application is being processed if all of the following are true at the time you submit your application:
- You have a valid study permit and apply within the first 90 days after your program official completion date first becomes available.
- You have completed your program of study.
- You were eligible to work off campus without a work permit during your studies. Check that your study permit has a condition allowing off-campus work, such as “may accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria, per paragraph R186(f), (v) or (w) and must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria“.
- You did not work off campus for more than 20 hours per week during academic sessions, except if you are eligible to work more hours during the temporary policy (below).
Temporary Policy: In recognition of international students’ contribution to the labour market, IRCC announced a temporary policy which allows some international students who are eligible to work off-campus to work more than 20 hours a week starting from November 15, 2022, until whichever comes first:
- The study permit you applied for on or before October 7 expires
- The study permit you held on October 7, 2022 expires, if you did not have a study permit application in progress on October 7, 2022
- December 31, 2023
- You finish your studies and get your letter of completion
When can I apply for the PGWP?
If you are qualified, you can apply for an official school letter to prove you have officially completed your TWU program. *At TWU, to order the official school letter, students can read the instructions HERE and request this letter from TWU Office of the Registrar directly.
On the TWU official school letter “Verification of Graduation letter”, you can find your program completion date.
According to IRCC, the definition of the program completion date is not the issue date of the school letter, not the last class date, not the last exam date, not the date the final grade is posted, not the graduation ceremony date. For IRCC, the program completion date is determined by the school confirming that you have officially completed all course requirements to graduate.
TWU defines a student’s program completion date as their degree conferral date. This date is shown on the students’ transcript and diploma. This date cannot be changed. TWU’s current degree conferral dates are May 31st, the first Saturday of November and December 31st.
TWU carefully issues official school documents based on academic procedures to verify students' academic records, and we do not customize official school documents to accommodate individual students’ immigration purposes. Please plan your study permit, work permit and employment arrangements based on the three dates above.
If you have questions about your program official completion date, you should discuss this with your program administrators. Your program administrators will help you with your academic-related questions, but they are not responsible for your immigration status and/or PGWP eligibility.
You can apply PGWP after receiving this official school letter, which confirms that you have completed all program requirements.
Your study permit validity and time frame to apply for the PGWP are based on the date you officially completing your program.
Study permits become automatically invalid in one of two ways, whichever comes first:
- The expiry date on the study permit
- 90 days after written confirmation of your program completion date first becomes available
Your study permit automatically becomes invalid 90 days after the date you officially completing your program, even if the expiry date on your study permit is several months later.
You can only submit your PGWP application within 180 days from your program's official completion date. Thus, You can submit PGWP application inside of Canada within the first of 90 days from your program's official completion date. Otherwise, you need to leave Canada and then submit PGWP application outside of Canada within the rest of 90 days.
If you are in Canada and do not apply for the PGWP within 90 days of the date you officially completing your program with a valid study permit, or you have not received a letter of acceptance for a new academic program to continue studies, you must take action by completing one of the following before the 90-day period is over or before your study permit expires (whichever comes first), otherwise you will be out of status:
- Change your status to a visitor and apply for the PGWP from inside Canada through the visa office which serves your country of citizenship.
- Leave Canada and apply for the PGWP from outside of Canada.
Your study permit must have been valid within the 180-day period before you apply for the PGWP. If your study permit expired before the date you officially completing your program, your time line to apply for the PGWP will be earlier - you must apply within 180 days of your study permit expiring, rather than within 180 days of your Letter of Completion becoming available.
How to apply for the PGWP?
To apply for PGWP, you need two official school documents from TWU:
- An official school letter to confirm your official completion of TWU program. When you fill out PGWP application forms, you need to make sure to fill out the correct program completion date.
- Official/Unofficial transcripts from TWU to support your PGWP application. You can download your TWU transcripts from your TWU student portal.
*If you have questions to obtain the above two school documents, you need to check HERE and request the school documents from TWU Office of the Registrar directly. As a TWU student, please respect and follow school procedure to obtain official school documents. After that, you can prepare your immigration application based on the official documents issued by TWU.
Remember! you are responsible for preparing ALL other required forms and materials for your PGWP application, which may take additional time. Thus, you need to effectively prepare your own PGWP application required forms, and materials to ensure you submit your own PGWP application on time. It is always your responsibility to ensure you provide accurate information and elaborate on facts!
- Each applicant's situation is different because you have different family sizes, travel histories, academic backgrounds, financial statement and medical conditions, so you must prepare the forms and documents based on your own situation.
- We strongly recommend that students use the online portal to submit PGWP applications. Click the IRCC Webpage [Check Here ] to find "Get the instructions" and then open your own online account.
- When you apply for a PGWP through your IRCC online portal, the system will generate a personalized document checklist based on the information you provide. Make sure to follow the checklist to submit all required documents to IRCC.
- Check the IRCC official website HERE to obtain Guide 5553 to fully understand how to fill out PGWP application forms. Keep in mind that you will receive a personalized document checklist on your IRCC online portal. Guide 5553 serves as a strong reference to guide you on how to fill out the forms.
- Students are suggested to double check whether they meet all PGWP requirements before submitting their PGWP to avoid future denials or delays.
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.
- Service Hub: For personalized assistance in resolving immigration-related questions, please submit your inquiries through Service Hub. 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 advise international students, their spouses, common-law partners, and children. We do not submit IRCC applications on behalf of international students.