International students studying for a master’s program less than two years in length are now eligible for a three-year post-graduation work permit (PGWP).
Previously, the duration of a granted PGWP was linked to the duration of the study program. However, acknowledging the potential of master’s students to excel in Canada’s job market, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has opted to broaden the eligibility criteria for these students to receive extended work permits.
TheWitness learns that PGWPs issued to students enrolled in programs other than master’s level will still align with the program’s duration, capped at three years.
Additionally, students in programs at PGWP-eligible designated learning institutions (DLIs), which are at least two years long, qualify for an extended three-year PGWP.
In the coming weeks, IRCC will also revise regulations regarding spousal work permits for international students at the undergraduate level.
Consequently, only spouses of students at the master’s and doctoral levels will be eligible for a spousal work permit.
However, this adjustment will not affect spousal open work permits for the spouses or conjugal partners of Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
For international students to qualify for a PGWP, they must meet the following criteria:
According to the new rule, from September 2024, some students will no longer be eligible to apply for a PGWP.
These are students attending a program that utilizes a curriculum licensing framework (where a private college has been licensed to deliver the curriculum of an associated public college).
