Canada Tightens Post-Graduation Work Permit Rules for International Students

(CTN News) – Earlier than expected, the Canadian government is enforcing a new rule for international students.

The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) confirmed on January 22, 2024, that international graduates will no longer be eligible for post-graduation work permits. You won’t be able to get this permit if you graduate from a public-private curriculum licensing arrangement.

It was originally supposed to take effect on September 1, 2024, but it will now take effect on May 15, 2024.

As a result of this adjustment, international students enrolled in these programs on or after May 15, 2024, won’t qualify for a post-graduation work permit.

Despite this modification in post-graduation work permit criteria, graduates can still get alternative work permits after graduation. When graduates’ occupations are experiencing shortages in Canada, they can apply for a work permit backed by an employer’s approved labor market impact assessment.

On its website, the IRCC keeps a list of designated learning institutions that are eligible to issue post-graduation work permits.

Flexibility in Employment: Post-Graduation Work Permits Allow Work Across Canada

From February 15, 2024, the Canadian government will change the post-graduation work permit program (PGWP). If you finish a master’s degree program, even one that doesn’t last two years, you’ll be eligible for a three-year PGWP as long as you meet all other requirements.

International students who finish their studies in Canada can work anywhere with a post-graduation employment permit.

The duration of a PGWP is determined by the length and intensity of the student’s program and the expiration date of their passport.

In response to the burgeoning housing shortage exacerbated by a surge in international student numbers, Canada unveiled a new measure in January: a two-year cap on new international student permits. Recently, the number of foreign students has risen.

According to government data, over 650,000 international students got study permits in Canada last year alone. The number of international students entering the country soared to a record-breaking number exceeding one million. That’s a threefold increase over the number a decade ago.