Unlocking the Career Door for International Students in Canada: Essential Guide to Applying for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)
The Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) in Canada is an open work permit allowing international graduates to work for most employers in almost any industry across the country. This valuable Canadian work experience is often crucial for graduates aspiring to apply for Permanent Residence (PR). For instance, the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program requires applicants to have at least one year of Canadian full-time work experience. Therefore, planning early to ensure eligibility for a PGWP upon graduation is a primary task every international student should take seriously from the beginning of their study planning.
Practical Guide: Three Steps to Ensure PGWP Compliance
Step One: Confirm Your Target Institution is a Designated Learning Institution (DLI)
Firstly, a core prerequisite for applying for a Canadian Study Permit is obtaining a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from a "Designated Learning Institution" (DLI) recognized by the Canadian government. Only DLIs are authorized to enroll international students. If your chosen school is not on the official DLI list, your Study Permit application will be directly refused.
To confirm your school's DLI status and its PGWP eligibility, international students should follow these steps:
- Visit the Official IRCC DLI List Page: Go to the Government of Canada website page maintained by IRCC titled "Designated learning institutions list".
- Filter by Province/Territory: Scroll to the bottom of the page to find the "List of designated learning institutions by province/territory" section and use the drop-down menu to select the province or territory where your school is located.
- Use the Search Function: After selecting the province/territory, a list of registered DLIs in that area will appear. You can use the search box at the top of the table to quickly find your institution by name, DLI number, or city. Any institution listed in this table is a DLI. * Special Note: All primary and secondary schools in Canada are automatically designated as DLIs and therefore do not appear in this searchable list for post-secondary institutions.
- Verify Key Information: Once you find your institution's entry, be sure to note two important pieces of information:
- PGWP Eligibility: Check if the institution offers programs that qualify for a PGWP.
- DLI Number: This is the unique identification code you must enter under "Details of intended study in Canada" on your study permit application form.
What if you can't find the school in the list?
If your school is not listed under post-secondary institutions, first confirm it is not a primary or secondary school (as these are automatically designated and not shown here). If it truly does not appear, contact the institution's admissions office to verify their DLI status and PGWP eligibility information before you apply.
Step Two: Confirm Your Program of Study is PGWP Eligible
Simply confirming the school is a PGWP-eligible DLI is not enough; you must further verify that your specific program of study also meets the PGWP requirements.
It is crucial to note that, effective November 1, 2024, international graduates at certain study levels will face new language proficiency and field of study (i.e., related to Canadian labour market demand) requirements in addition to completing their studies when applying for a PGWP. These important changes are summarized below:
| Level of study | Language requirements | Field of study requirements |
|---|---|---|
| College / University bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral programs | English or French language proficiency equivalent to a level 7 CLB/NCLC in all four language abilities. | N/A |
| University programs not listed above | English or French language proficiency equivalent to a level 7 CLB/NCLC in all four language abilities. | Must have graduated from an eligible field of study. |
| College program or other non-university program | English or French language proficiency equivalent to a level 5 CLB/NCLC in all four language abilities. | Must have graduated from an eligible field of study. |
How to Find and Confirm Your Program's Corresponding CIP Code?
Canadian education programs are described and categorized using the "Classification of Instructional Programs" (CIP) system. To determine if your program is PGWP eligible (especially for courses requiring a specific field of study), you first need to find the CIP code corresponding to your program.
You can visit Statistics Canada's relevant webpage and use the search bar to enter keywords related to your program's title or description to find the 6-digit code (Class) that best matches your course. Since program titles can be general, be sure to carefully read the detailed description of the code, including examples and exceptions, to ensure the code you select accurately matches your actual program content.
Once you have determined the correct CIP code, you need to cross-reference it with the list of PGWP-eligible program codes provided by IRCC or relevant official guidelines (especially after November 1, 2024, for study levels requiring the field of study requirement).
* Important Note: Accurately finding and verifying the CIP code corresponding to your program directly impacts your PGWP eligibility and has profound implications for your future immigration pathway. Many international graduates choose to consult with experienced immigration consultants to ensure the accuracy of this critical information and maximize their chances of obtaining a PGWP and applying for permanent residence.
Other Important Conditions for PGWP Application
It's important to note that a PGWP is issued only once per applicant. Even if you complete a new program after receiving a PGWP, you cannot apply for another one.
The validity period of your PGWP depends on the level and length of the program you complete, typically ranging from 8 months to a maximum of 3 years:
- For Master's Programs: Effective February 15, 2024, Master's programs of at least 8 months (or 900 hours in Quebec) will be eligible for a PGWP of up to 3 years, even if the program is less than two years.
- For All Other Programs:
- Programs of at least 8 months (or 900 hours in Quebec) but less than two years in length, the PGWP validity will be up to the length of the study program.
- Programs of two years or more in length, the PGWP validity will be up to 3 years.
- If you completed more than one eligible program before applying for your PGWP, the validity period might consider the length of both programs.
In addition to the school and program being eligible, international students must meet a series of their own study and documentation requirements to successfully submit and obtain a PGWP:
- Completing an academic, vocational, or professional training program lasting at least eight months (or 900 hours in Quebec) at an eligible institution listed on the DLI list, resulting in a degree, diploma, or certificate.
- Maintaining full-time student status in Canada throughout each academic session of the program(s) included in the PGWP application (unless there are IRCC-recognized exceptions, such as the final term).
- Obtaining both an official transcript and an official letter from the eligible DLI confirming that the applicant has fulfilled the requirements to complete their program. These documents must be submitted with the post-graduation work permit application.
- Graduated from one of the following types of eligible institutions:
- A public post-secondary institution, such as a college, a trade or technical school, a university, or a CEGEP (in Quebec).
- A private post-secondary institution in Quebec that follows the same regulations as public institutions in Quebec.
- A private secondary or post-secondary institution in Quebec offering qualifying programs of 900 hours or more, leading to a diplôme d’études professionnelles (DEP) or an attestation de spécialisation professionnelle (ASP).
- A Canadian private institution authorized by provincial law to confer degrees (e.g., associate, bachelor's, master's, or doctorate), but only if the student was enrolled in a program that leads to a provincially authorized degree.
Do Not Overlook: Maintaining Canadian Admissibility is Crucial
Finally, even if you fully meet all the PGWP application eligibility criteria regarding your school, program, academic record, and documentation, the final approval depends on whether you still meet Canada's entry requirements (Admissibility) at the time of application. This means that if, during your study period, your circumstances change, such as developing a serious health condition, acquiring a criminal record, or significant changes in your home country leading immigration officers to doubt your intent as a temporary resident, your PGWP application could still be refused.
Therefore, international students should always be mindful of complying with Canadian laws and regulations, maintaining good health, and ensuring their personal circumstances do not negatively affect their 'admissibility'. Meeting academic requirements is fundamental, while maintaining legal temporary resident status and a clear record is another lifeline to ensure ultimately obtaining the PGWP successfully.
Given the policy changes, international students should be more prudent in planning their future. Carefully reviewing the latest guidelines published by IRCC, especially focusing on the details of the new regulations taking effect on November 1, 2024, and seeking professional help when necessary, will be key to ensuring a successful study journey and paving the way for a professional dream in Canada.
Friendly reminder: There are many pathways to immigrate to Canada. We recommend first using UNA AI to generate an objective and neutral immigration plan, so you can gain an initial understanding of the possible immigration pathways and their requirements, and then choose to proceed with one-on-one consultations with a licensed Canadian immigration consultant partnered with UNA.
B.C. issues 33 invitations in second rural health support draw as cutoff climbs to 60
On Sept 17, 2026, the British Columbia (B.C.) Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) held the second draw under its Temporary Rural/Remote Health Support Initiative (TRHSI), issuing 33 invitations to apply for provincial nomination to cleaning and security staff employed by a public health authority in a rural or remote part of the province, with a minimum score of 60 — 10 points above the 50-point cutoff used in the first draw on July 23, 2026 — while the number of invitations fell from 60 to 33, bringing the two-draw total to 93 invitations to apply (ITAs), or roughly 37% of the initiative's cap of 250 nominations. TRHSI is a one-time, time-limited permanent residence (PR) pathway launched when B.C. restructured its nominee program on April 23, 2026; registration opened June 15, 2026, and eligibility is confined to three National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes — 65312, 65310 and 64410 — with applicants required to have completed nine months of continuous full-time work with the same employer, in the same eligible region and in the same occupation. The registration window was originally set to close at midnight on Aug 31 but was extended to 11:59 p.m. on Oct 7, 2026 because of wildfire-related impacts. The wider context is that B.C.'s 2026 nomination allocation rose to 6,254 after the federal government added 1,000 spaces in August, with at least 35% of nominations required to go to candidates outside Metro Vancouver; and that since June 9, 2026, base Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) nominees applying for PR no longer need to wait for an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) before applying for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) — a federal temporary measure running to Dec 31, 2026 that matters especially to TRHSI applicants, who have no Express Entry-aligned option.
09/20/2026
Canada holds back-to-back Express Entry draws: CEC cut-off eases to 519, while the senior managers category sets a record low
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held Express Entry draws on two consecutive days, September 15 and 16, 2026, issuing invitations to apply (ITAs) to two very different groups of candidates. Round #443, conducted on September 15 at 10:21:41 UTC, issued 2,000 invitations under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 519 and a tie-breaking rule of March 26, 2026 at 00:16:39 UTC; round #444, held the following day at 12:44:28 UTC, issued 250 invitations under the category for senior managers with Canadian work experience at a minimum CRS score of just 389, with a tie-breaking rule of September 1, 2026 at 23:05:13 UTC. Both rounds were authorized by ministerial instructions signed in Ottawa by Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). The senior managers category, created in February 2026, has now run three draws, with the cut-off falling from 429 in its first round to 392 and then 389 -- a cumulative drop of 40 points and the lowest threshold in the category's short history. Over the same period, the CEC cut-off has declined for a third consecutive round after peaking at a 2026 high of 523 on August 18. Through round #444, IRCC has held 56 draws and issued 128,982 invitations in 2026, an annual record since Express Entry was launched.
09/18/2026
Express Entry round #442 issues 576 PNP invitations as the cut-off climbs back to 734
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the 442nd Express Entry round on September 14, 2026, issuing 576 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence to candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) category with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 734, up 37 points from the 697 recorded on August 31, the lowest PNP cut-off of the year, while the size of the round edged past the 562 invitations issued two weeks earlier to make it the second-largest PNP round since June 22. The ministerial instruction behind the round was signed in Ottawa by Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab, and the tie-breaking rule was set at 21:39:50 UTC on August 29, 2026, barely two weeks before the draw itself, a sign that a substantial share of the candidates sitting exactly at 734 were recently nominated applicants who had only just entered the pool. With this round, IRCC has held 54 Express Entry draws in 2026 and issued 126,732 invitations in total, including 18 PNP rounds accounting for 8,537 invitations, 22.8 percent more than the 6,947 issued over the same period in 2025 and consistent with Ottawa's decision to restore the 2026 provincial nominee admissions target to 91,500. A pool snapshot published the day before the draw showed 226,793 candidates in the pool, of whom roughly 574 scored 601 or higher, almost exactly matching the 576 invitations issued, which means IRCC once again cleared out nearly the entire top tier of nominated candidates in a single round. Analysts expect the remaining PNP rounds this year to keep to a roughly biweekly rhythm of a little over 400 invitations each, with the cut-off driven largely by how quickly the provinces feed new nominations into the federal pool.
09/15/2026
Newfoundland and Labrador issues just 36 provincial nomination invitations on September 10, the smallest round of the year
On September 10, 2026, the Newfoundland and Labrador Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism (OIM) invited 36 candidates to apply for a provincial nomination through the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) — the province's 14th draw of the year, its smallest round of 2026, and the third round since the Expression of Interest (EOI) model launched in February 2025 in which no Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) candidate received an invitation, the second such round in a row. The province has now issued 2,592 invitations in 2026, comprising 2,198 through the NLPNP and 394 through the AIP; by comparison, Newfoundland and Labrador issued 3,376 invitations across 13 rounds in all of 2025, meaning that this year's total is 784 lower despite one additional draw, with round sizes contracting steadily since mid-August. The province has still not published its 2026 nomination allocation, and industry media have suggested that the recent pattern of small, frequent draws may reflect a limited pool of remaining spaces, though the province has offered no explanation. For those invited, a federal temporary measure in effect since June 9 allows provincial nominees applying for permanent residence (PR) from inside Canada to apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) before receiving an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR), helping them avoid a gap in status during a base provincial nominee processing cycle that currently runs about 13 months.
09/14/2026
Alberta Issues 722 Invitations Across Three Early-September Draws, With Tech and Health Care Rounds Both Cutting Off at 60
The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) held three draws between September 1 and September 9, 2026, all aimed at candidates holding an Alberta job offer, issuing a combined 722 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination: on September 1, the Alberta Opportunity Stream invited 575 candidates with a minimum score of 56; on September 3, the Alberta Express Entry Stream – Accelerated Tech Pathway invited 96 tech workers with a minimum score of 60; and on September 9, the Dedicated Health Care Pathway – Express Entry invited 51 health care workers, also at a minimum score of 60. Invited candidates have a set window in which to submit a provincial nomination application, and once nominated they apply to the federal government for permanent residence (PR), with those already in Canada able to apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) while they wait; under Operational Bulletin 699, which Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued and brought into force on June 9, 2026, in-Canada provincial nominees who have not yet received an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) for their PR application may apply for a BOWP on the strength of their submission confirmation email and proof of payment, a measure that runs until December 31, 2026. As of September 9, Alberta had issued 4,864 nominations this year, roughly 74 percent of its full-year allocation of 6,603, leaving 1,739 spots; the Worker Expression of Interest pool still held 35,957 active profiles, of which the Alberta Opportunity Stream alone accounted for 22,381 against just 837 remaining nominations in that stream, so competition remains intense. Health care and technology are both among Alberta's designated priority sectors for 2026, alongside construction, aviation, agriculture and manufacturing.
09/12/2026
Canada Restores Study-Permit Exemption for Work Permit Holders, in Force Until the End of 2027
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a temporary public policy on September 9, 2026 that allows foreign nationals holding a valid work permit to enrol in a course of six months or less without applying for a study permit, even if the course ends after the period of stay authorized on their first entry to Canada. Signed by Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Lena Metlege Diab on August 5, the policy took effect on September 4, runs until December 31, 2027, and may be revoked at any time. It revives a measure of the same name introduced in June 2023 that expired on June 27 of this year, but with a narrower reach: the earlier policy let eligible workers, including those on maintained status, study programs of any length without a study permit, whereas the new one requires applicants to hold a valid work permit and waives only the requirement that a course be completed within the initial authorized period of stay. As of June 30, 2026, roughly 1.55 million foreign nationals in Canada held a work permit only, and about 630,000 held a study permit. IRCC says the measure is intended to help workers already in the country, such as tradespeople, nurses and laboratory technicians, upgrade their skills and credentials to fill gaps in critical sectors, and that it does not change the government's overall target of reducing temporary residents to less than 5 percent of the population.
09/10/2026
RBC Report Urges Ottawa to Scrap Express Entry Category Draws and Return to Pure Points-Based Selection
On September 1, 2026, RBC Thought Leadership, the think tank arm of the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), published a report titled A Smarter Immigration Strategy, arguing that Express Entry has drifted away from the purpose it was built for: since category-based selection was introduced in 2023, lower-scoring candidates have been able to jump the queue through an occupational or language category, while higher-scoring applicants waiting in the pool are left behind. Citing government data, the report finds that the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score needed for an invitation through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is "over 100 points more, on average" than what some category draws require, a gap that has been especially visible in the 2026 rounds: through September 4, CEC cutoffs have stayed between 507 and 523, while the French-language proficiency category fell as low as 382 and the February 19 physician draw cleared at just 169 — the lowest cutoff any category draw has ever recorded. In response, RBC puts forward seven recommendations, including inviting the highest-ranked candidates first, tightening or eliminating category-based draws at the federal level, reversing the 2022 legislation that authorized the categories, setting a minimum share of economic immigration for Express Entry, reintroducing a minimum cutoff based on core factors, devolving targeted category selection to the provinces and territories, and committing to regular recalibration of the CRS formula. It bears emphasizing that these are the policy recommendations of a private institution, not a government decision. As of September 9, neither Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) nor Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab had responded publicly to the report, and draws for the French-language, healthcare and physician categories are still running as scheduled; IRCC did, however, consult this spring on merging the three federal high-skilled programs and recalibrating the CRS, and again from August to early September on the shape of the 2027 categories, saying it is considering "narrowing" the number or eligibility scope of labour-shortage categories. The 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan is due to be tabled in Parliament by November 1, at which point the overall direction of federal economic immigration should become clearer.
09/09/2026
Canada raises study permit proof-of-funds threshold to $23,448, and tightens scrutiny of where the money comes from
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has raised the study permit proof-of-funds requirement as of September 1, 2026, with a single applicant studying outside Quebec now required to show at least $23,448 CAD for a first year of living expenses, up $553 from the previous $22,895, and with the thresholds for larger families rising in step. Alongside the higher dollar figures, IRCC has updated its guidance to make clear that officers will assess not only how much money an applicant has but where it came from and whether it will remain available throughout the period of study, with applicants expected to supply six months of bank statements and documents explaining the source of the deposits shown in them; those enrolled in programs longer than one year must also set out how they intend to pay for the remaining years. The threshold covers living costs only, meaning tuition and round-trip transportation must be demonstrated separately, and Quebec continues to apply its own financial capacity standard through the CAQ, set at $24,617 for a single applicant. The increase extends a policy direction Canada has followed since 2024, combining sharply higher financial requirements with a shrinking study permit cap, which falls to 408,000 for 2026, a 7% reduction from 2025.
09/08/2026
Newfoundland and Labrador issues 97 provincial nominee invitations on September 4, with no Atlantic Immigration Program candidates selected
Newfoundland and Labrador invited 97 candidates to apply for a provincial nomination through the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) on September 4, 2026, in the province's 13th draw of the year and only the second round since it moved to an Expression of Interest (EOI) model in February 2025 in which no Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) candidate received an invitation. The province has now issued 2,556 invitations in 2026 — 2,162 through the NLPNP and 394 through the AIP — well behind the 3,376 invitations it issued across 13 rounds in all of 2025, with the AIP's share falling from roughly 27% to about 15%. Candidates who receive an invitation should also note a change at the federal level: since June 9, 2026, provincial nominees who submit a permanent residence (PR) application from inside Canada have been able to apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) before receiving an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR), allowing them to maintain status while their application is processed; the temporary measure is currently in place until December 31, 2026. Federal processing currently takes about 13 months for base PNP permanent residence applications and about 7 months for Express Entry-aligned (enhanced) nominations.
09/07/2026
Canada Issues 3,500 More Express Entry Invitations to Healthcare and Social Services Candidates, With the CRS Cut-Off Holding at 475
On September 4, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held this year's third Express Entry draw targeting healthcare and social services occupations, issuing 3,500 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 475 — unchanged from the previous healthcare round on June 25 and above the 467 recorded in the category's first round of the year on February 20. The category has now issued 11,500 invitations in 2026. The round was also IRCC's 53rd Express Entry draw of the year, pushing the 2026 total past 126,000 invitations, of which the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and the French-language proficiency category together account for more than 80 percent — a distribution that reflects Ottawa's current preference for candidates already in Canada while still steering capacity toward shortage occupations. Since IRCC refreshed its category framework on February 19, 2026 and raised the minimum work-experience requirement for renewed categories from six months to one year, healthcare cut-offs have trended higher overall, leaving eligible health and social services workers to reassess both their scores and their timing.
09/05/2026
