International students in Canada are benefitting from a new policy that extends the eligibility for post-graduation work permits (PGWP). Students in master’s programs that are less than two years in length are now eligible for a three-year PGWP.
Before this policy change, the length of an issued PGWP was linked to the length of the program of study. However, in recognition of the employability of master’s students in Canada’s labor market, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has decided to expand the eligibility for these students to receive longer work permits.
The length of issued PGWPs for students in programs of study other than at the master’s level will still correspond with the length of the study program, up to a maximum of three years. Students in programs at PGWP-eligible designated learning institutions (DLIs) that are at least two years in length are also eligible for a longer, three-year PGWP.
In addition to the changes for PGWPs, IRCC will also modify rules for spousal work permits for international students at an undergraduate level. This means that only spouses of students at the master’s and doctoral level will be eligible to receive a spousal work permit. This change will not impact spousal open work permits for the spouses or conjugal partners of Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
To be eligible for a PGWP, international students must have completed studies in an academic, vocational, or professional training program that is at least eight months long, at an eligible DLI. They must also have graduated from an eligible institution, have held full-time student status in Canada, and have received a transcript and official confirmation from the DLI.
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