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´¡â€¯â€¯is an open work permit that allows students who have graduated from an eligible Designated Learning Institution (ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½'s DLI number is O19279717512) to work full time in Canada and gain valuable Canadian work experience. A PGWP is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Students completing an additional certificate or diploma, or completing a degree may decide to wait until after completing the full period of study before applying for the PGWP.
Who Can Apply for a PGWP?
International students may be eligible to apply for a PGWP after graduation, provided they meet all set by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The requirements vary depending on factors such as the type of study program (e.g., College, University, or other programs), the location of the program (whether the graduate studied inside or outside Canada), and the field of study (if applicable).
PGWP Eligibility Criteria for ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Graduates
At ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ (ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½), international students who successfully graduate from an eligible program may be able to apply for a PGWP, provided they meet all the PGWP eligibility criteria listed below:
Have completed a full-time program of study at ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ that was at least 8 months long, and that led to a Certificate, Diploma or Degree, and
Have submitted a study permit application before November 1, 2024: no field of study requirements; or
Have submitted a study permit application on or after November 1, 2024: must graduate from an
Have maintained full-time academic status as an international student in Canada, with the exception of , , and the 
Have studied at least 50% of their program in-person inside Canada (an exception to the  to study online until August 31, 2024)
Have met one of the depending on your program of studies:
ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½’s Certificates, Associate Degrees, Diplomas and Post-Degree Diplomas
English Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) minimum level 5
French Niveaux de Competence Linguistique Canadiens (NCLC) 5 in all 4 language areas
ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½’s Bachelor’s degree
English Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) minimum level 7
French Niveaux de Competence Linguistique Canadiens (NCLC) 7 in all 4 language areas
Apply for a PGWP within 180 days after obtaining ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Program Completion Letter, and
Study permit was valid at some point during the 180 days after you graduated.
Length of a Post-Graduation Work Permit
The length of a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) will vary from a minimum of 8 months to a maximum of 3 years, depending on the length of your program(s) of studies in Canada. 
Please note that international students must meet all  to obtain a PGWP. The issuance of a PGWP is ultimately at the sole discretion of IIRCC.
For a complete understanding of PGWP length, please visit .
For the full list of ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ programs, please refer to the program listing page.
Disclaimer: Eligibility for a PGWP is under the discretion of IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) when reviewing a student’s application.
PGWP Eligible Programs for ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Graduates
No Field Of Study Requirement:
International students that have submitted a study permit application before November 1, 2024, don’t need to meet the field of study requirement. The PGWP will be calculated based on the program length.
ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Certificates of less than 8 months: These programs are not eligible for a PGWP.
ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Certificates of 8 months, but less than 2 years: These programs may be eligible for a PGWP for up to the same length as your program. ·¡³æ³¦±ð±è³Ù¾±´Ç²Ô: The University Transfer Certificate programsdo not guarantee a PGWP as they may not guarantee full-time academic status.
ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Diploma, Associate Degree, Bachelor Degree and Post-Degree Diplomas of 2 years or longer: These programs may be eligible for a PGWP for up to 3 years.
Field Of Study Requirement:
International students that have submitted a study permit application on or after November 1, 2024, must graduate in an eligible field of study. Below, please find ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½’s Programs of Study that align with and their Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes:
ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Documents, Graduation, and Application Timeline
You will need the following documents from ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ to apply for your PGWP:
ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Program Completion Letter
ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Electronic Transcript
Program Completion Letter and Electronic Transcript
Once you have successfully completed your program and all of your grades have been entered by your instructors, the graduation audit will begin. Please be aware that this process may take up to 6 weeks to complete. If you are eligible to graduate, you will be awarded the credential and automatically receive your Program Completion letter and your electronic transcript by email from ieservices@vcc.ca. You can use both documents to submit your PGWP application. If there is a hold on your account, you will not automatically receive these documents. Please rectify your hold and contact ieservices@vcc.ca to request these documents.
This is included below:
Graduating from Full-TimeRegular Programs:
Students graduating with their original cohorts will be automatically assessed for graduation after their grades have been entered.
Students NOT graduating with their original cohorts (i.e. as an insert student with a different cohort, due to failing classes or taking a leave outside of the scheduled breaks), you are required to submit the Application for Graduation Form to the ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Registrar’s Office at records@vcc.ca.
University Transfer (i.e. University Transfer Certificate or Associate of Science)
Graduating from Full-Time Continuing Studies Programs:
Students graduating from full-time continuing studies programs must submit the to ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Continuing Studies at continuingstudies@vcc.ca within two (2) weeks before completing their programs.
You can use your electronic transcript for your PGWP application. You don’t need to use the official hard-copy transcript. However, if you want an official transcript for your records the ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Registrar’s Office will issue this document. You can request for your official transcript online through your student account portal or visit the Records Office page to understand the alternatives for requesting it, as well as payment options. 
To receive your ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ official transcript and final awarded credentials by mail, you must ensure your local address is up to date on your  student account portal. Check the tutorial on How to Update your Contact Information Online and ensure you update your address before graduation.
International students have up to 180 days after obtaining ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Program Completion Letter to apply for a PGWP. In addition, their study permit must have been valid at some point during the 180 days after they graduated.
It is highly recommended that international students apply within 90 days of receiving the Program Completion letter or before the study permit expires, whichever comes first, as this may grant until a decision is made on the PGWP application.
A study permit is usually valid for the length of your program of studies, plus an additional 90 days.
A  if any of the following occurs:
the day that is 90 days after the day on which the permit holder completes their studies, OR
the day on which the permit holder is no longer enrolled at the designated learning institution that is named in the permit, other than as a result of completing their studies, OR
the day on which the study permit is cancelled under section,or; OR
the day on which the permit expires.
It's crucial not to let your study permit expire while awaiting your final grades and graduation. To cover the period you're waiting for graduation, you must ensure that your study permit remains valid. IRCC typically issues study permits for the duration of the study program, plus an extra 90 days to accommodate this waiting period.
Applying for a PGWP without a valid study permit means you cannot start working until your PGWP application is processed and approved by IRCC.
Working Before and After you apply for a PGWP
You can only apply for a PGWP once your ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Program Completion Letter (graduation letter) and your Electronic Transcript becomes available.
Before you receive your Program Completion Letter, you are still considered a ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ international student. You may be able to  a²Ô»å  as long as you have had work eligibility while studying and you have a valid study permit.
Once you receive your Program Completion Letter, you must stop working immediately. You are no longer authorized to continue to work in Canada, as you no longer meet the eligibility criteria as a study permit holder under .
After you receive your Program Completion Letter and submit your PGWP application within 90 days, you may be able to start working full-time if you meet all the :
had a valid study permit at the time of the PGWP application submission,
had completed your program of study,
were eligible to  without a work permit and
did not work off-campus for more than 24 hours a week during academic sessions (unless meeting the IRCC temporary policy that allowed some international students to work more than 20 hours per week between November 15, 2022, and April 30, 2024).
Avoiding a Gap in Work Eligibility
To maintain your work eligibility after completing your program, prepare your PGWP application in advance and, if necessary, extend your study permit well in advance to avoid delays. Once your Program Completion Letter is released, submit your PGWP application right away. If you apply for a PGWP while holding a valid study permit, you may be eligible to work full-time as soon as your PGWP application is submitted.
If you were eligible to work full-time immediately after submitting your PGWP application, you retain the right to work in Canada even if your study permit becomes invalid and have maintained status during the processing of your PGWP application. This right to work is granted under of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations until a decision is made on your PGWP application.
If your employer requires proof of your work eligibility while you wait for your PGWP to be processed, you may provide copies of all documents listed on the IRCC website to . The list includes a copy of the from your PGWP application (if you applied online).
How to Apply for a PGWP
International students can  from inside or outside Canada. However, international students usually have up to 180 days after graduation to apply for a PGWP.
ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ International students are encouraged to apply for a PGWP within 90 days of graduation with a valid study permit. After submitting the PGWP application, they may be .
Please note that as of June 21, 2024, international students  (airport, land or marine border) when entering Canada.
When you , the online system will ask, “Have you recently graduated from a participating Canadian post-secondary institution for which your study program was full-time and a minimum of eight months?”. Selecting “Yes” to this question signals to the system that you have completed your studies and are seeking to apply for a PGWP.
After answering all the questions from the online wizard, the system will provide a personalized document checklist. This checklist will require you to upload your “Completion of Studies Letter” and “Recent Education Transcript”. Please upload your ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Program Completion Letter (graduation letter) and ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Electronic Transcript (with confirmation of graduation) accordingly.
Once your application is successfully submitted, you will receive a PDF letter in your IRCC secure account indicating that the original document will be mailed to the address you have provided. If your address has changed, be sure to update it by submitting an before your documents are sent.
Please review the following documents for instructions on how to submit a PGWP application online from inside Canada:
If you apply on paper,  based on the country you are submitting your PGWP application from. Once you select the country from where you are submitting your application, the system will generate a list of documents and forms you need to submit. Submit your completed application with all required documents and the  to the address given in the application package.
Important Considerations and Information
Review the following important considerations related to the PGWP.
International students may be able to leave Canada and return as long as they have a valid  o°ù . It’s important to understand that having a valid status in Canada (such as a study permit status) that on its own doesn’t permit international students to travel back to Canada.If a student visa or eTA is expired, they must get a new one before returning to Canada.
that, when you return to Canada:
You may enter as a student if your study permit is still valid.
If IRCC approves your PGWP while you’re away, you may enter as a worker.
If your study permit was valid when you applied and IRCC is still processing your PGWP, you may enter as a visitor and work without a work permit until they make a decision on your application.
Please note that entry to Canada is at the discretion of a CBSA officer. The CBSA officer will review all your supporting documents and decide whether you can enter Canada. They must be satisfied that you meet the requirements to enter Canada, and that you will leave Canada at the end of your authorized stay.
Effective May 1, 2022,the will be updated so that individuals who remain in B.C. with maintained status will have access to temporary MSP coverage until a decision is made by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on their application for extension.
On January 14, 2025, IRCC announced, following their previous announcement on September 18, 2024, regarding.
Effective January 21, 2025, the spouse or common-law partner of an international student who has graduated from a recognized institution and qualifies for the PGWP, may be eligible for an. Eligibility depends on the type of work the PGWP holder is doing in Canada and meeting.
If the eligibility requirements are not met, the spouse or common-law partner may explore other options, such as applying for a different work permit, staying in Canada as a visitor, or pursuing studies while the primary applicant holds a PGWP.
Next Steps
Review your PGWP to ensure all your information is correct. It is recommended that you make a copy of it and store the original in a safe place. 
Renew your .
Renew your .
Apply for a new  to re-enter Canada (if applicable).
The content on this page reflects the information available at the time of its publication. It is important to acknowledge that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and other government departments regularly revise their policies. For the latest information, please visit (IRCC) website.
