IRCC announced updates to PGWP’s eligibility criteria on January 22, 2024. The immigration department stated that it would bring forth new changes to enhance stability and reduce the number of international study permits this year.
To ensure that PGWP matches well with these updates, IRCC declared the updates to PGWP’s eligibility criteria. Specifically, in September this year, international students beginning their study program, a curriculum licensing agreement’s part will not qualify for PGWP after graduation.
According to the curriculum licensing agreements, students go to a private college with licensing to execute a curriculum under a public college. However, suppose a public college possesses established licensing agreements with that of a private college, and students have been admitted to a private college. In that case, they will not qualify for a PGWP.
According to the IRCC, there is less surveillance over these programs than public colleges. As a result, this may provide a gap in PGWP eligibility.
In addition, it has become a norm for institutions to invite an increased number of students even though they lack the capacity to bring so many students. Consequently, the institutions feel compelled to revoke the letters of acceptance. Hence, Canada has worsened the influx of more international students.
For instance, in October 2023, 500 students in Ontario faced rejection in the case of Northern College. The college stated that it had no option but to revoke offers because of the lack of housing and availability of jobs for foreign students.
Therefore, executing this plan will reduce the severity of such situations. As a result, there will be a far more sustainable scenario for international students in the country.
Work Permit with longer duration for short programs at the graduation level
IRCC also announced that master’s graduates and other graduation-level programs with shorter durations will qualify to apply for work permits with a three-year eligibility. According to the present criteria, the PGWP length will depend on the length of a person’s study program. Since master’s programs have a shorter duration than undergraduate programs, the present requirements have restricted the time for master’s students and short-term graduate students who work in Canada.
Furthermore, this change will enable students to qualify for a lengthy work permit, offering them a prolonged opportunity to gain meaningful Canadian work experience.
This will lead them to gain permanent residency status.
The work process of a PGWP
A Post-Graduation Work Permit is a type of Open Work Permit that allows international graduates to work under any Canadian employer without a job offer requirement. The PGWP has a validity of up to three years. However, the real length of each individual’s PGWP will more or less depend on their Canadian study permit length. The chief advantage of PGWP is its ability to permit international students to attain professional Canadian work experience. This type of work experience is often valuable for PGWP holders when applying for Canadian PR status.
IRCC announced updates to PGWP’s eligibility criteria
International students must fulfill the following set of eligibility requirements to gain eligibility for a PGWP:
- Study completion in an academic, professional training, or vocational program with a duration of at least eight months at a qualifying DLI.
- Study programs must lead them to obtain a degree, diploma, or certificate.
- Possess full-time Canadian status during each academic session of the study program. They must include it within their PGWP application.
- They must have acquired an official letter or transcript from DLI confirming that the applicant has fulfilled all study permit requirements.
The student must have completed graduation from the following:
- A public post-secondary educational institution. This could be a college, a university, a trade or technical school, or a CEGEP in Quebec.
- A private post-secondary Quebec school that runs under rules and regulations like a Quebec public school.
- A public or private post-secondary school in Quebec offering eligible programs with 900 hours (or even more lengthy). In addition, it must lead to DEP or ASP issuance.
- A private school in Canada that can offer provincial law degrees. However, this can only happen if a student takes admission in a study program that results in a degree through the province’s authority, such as an Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctorate degree.
The latest November 2023 data revealed that 62,410 international graduates received Canadian permanent residency, a rise of 9,670 people in contrast to the 52,740 international graduates who shifted to Canadian PR in 2022.
If you still have questions related to Canadian immigration, you can access all relevant details through Make Home Canada’s immigration consultants. Write to us at [email protected]
