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McGill.CA / International Student Services / Work & Permits / Post-Graduation Work Permit

Eligibility Requirements for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)

To be eligible for a PGWP in Canada, make sure you meet the following conditions:

Eligibility Type Requirements
đź“š Academic Status
  1. You must have remained a full-time student in Canada during every academic term — except your final term.
  2. Important: If you had a gap in studies, took a leave of absence, or were part-time in any term (other than your final one), we recommend that you speak to an Immigration Advisor before applying for your PGWP.
đź•’ Application Deadline
  1. Apply for a PGWP within 180 days of receiving written proof from McGill that you’ve successfully completed your program.
  2. Examples of accepted documents for proof of program completion:
    1. Proof of Enrolment/Graduation Letter from Minerva that states "Degree Granted"
    2. PGWP Letter from McGill’s Service Point

See more about proof of completion below
đź“„ Transcript Requirement

You must be able to order your official electronic transcript from Enrolment Service which indicates:

  1. Final grades/results.
  2. A remark confirming your degree has been granted.

If you obtained a PGWP letter from Service Point, your transcripts do not need to indicated that your degree was granted.

For instructions on how to submit your transcript, please see our Post Graduation Work Permit FAQs.
🪪 Study Permit Validity

Your study permit must have been valid at some point within the 180 days after you received proof of program completion.

If you’re applying from inside Canada, your study permit must still be valid at the time you submit your PGWP application.
🎓 Program Type Rules (Graduate Certificate/Diploma)
  1. If you applied for your study permit after November 1, 2024, and are graduating from a Graduate Certificate or Diploma program, PGWP eligibility depends on your field of study.
  2. Note: This condition does not apply to students in Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD programs.

Proof of Completion of Program Requirements

The date of completion of your academic program is NOT the same as the date of convocation (your graduation ceremony). Your official date of completion of studies generally occurs before your convocation date.

Your degree is officially granted once McGill Senate has met to approve degrees. Your Proof of Enrolment/Graduation Letter in Minerva will state "Degree Granted" the day after Senate meets. You can use this letter as your proof of program completion for your PGWP application. For exact dates as to when Senate will meet, please see the McGill Senate website under Meeting dates. If your last term is:

  1. Winter: Senate will meet in May; 
  2. Summer: Senate will meet in October;
  3. Fall: Senate will meet in February.

Case 1: You CAN wait until the Senate meets to approve the degrees

After the Senate has met to confirm your graduation, you can generate a letter directly from Minerva that confirms that you have met all the requirements to graduate as follows:

  1. Log on to Minerva using your student ID.
  2. Go to the Student Menu.
  3. Click on Student Records.
  4. In the Student Records menu, click on Letters-Proof of Enrolment.
  5. Select Proof of Enrolment/Graduation.
  6. Print the generated PDF.

Case 2: You CAN'T wait until the Senate meets to approve the degrees

Please note that you can only request this exception letter after your final grades have been posted on Minerva OR your final thesis/project has been accepted by your department.

If you have circumstances that require you to apply for PGWP before Senate, you can request Service Point to provide you with a letter confirming degree completion. Graduate thesis students can request this letter without needing to demonstrate extenuating circumstances. Undergrad and non-thesis masters students must demonstrate that there are extenuating circumstances that require you to obtain proof of program completion before Senate meets. Extenuating circumstances could be one of the following:

  1. Your Study Permit will expire before Senate meets;
  2. You have to travel before the expiry of your immigration documents and will only be returning after the expiry of your Study Permit and TRV, if applicable;
  3. You have a job offer for a job that begins before Senate will meet.

Once the above conditions are met, please follow the below process to request a letter confirming degree completion from the service point:

  1. Log on to Service Desk Portal using your student email ID.
    Warning: Do not use an email alias to login.
  2. Select the Letters and Forms option.
  3. Click on PGWP / degree completion letter option depending on your degree.
  4. Fill all the relevant details confirming that you have completed your program.

Related Content:

IRCC Website on PGWP Eligibility
Changes to PGWP Eligibility Criteria
How to apply for PGWP?
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