Post-Graduation Work Permit

Post-Graduation Work Permit

Students who have completed a McGill degree can obtain a Post Graduation Work Permit. The Post Graduation Work Permit is an open work permit, with the following benefits:

• no job offer requirement
• a duration of 3 years 
• eligibility for Provincial Healthcare (information on applying for healthcare in Quebec can be found on the RAMQ website)

For complete details, visit the Immigration Canada website.

IMPORTANT! You can only obtain a PGWP once in your lifetime.
If you plan to complete more than 1 degree/diploma/certificate in Canada, consider carefully when it would be most strategic to take advantage of this one-time opportunity.

Eligibility for the Post-Graduation Work Permit

In order to apply for the PGWP:

1. You must have maintained full-time status in Canada in every academic term, with the exception of your last.
2. IMPORTANT: If you have a gap in your studies, took a leave of absence or if you were part-time in a semester other than your final term, we recommend that you speak to an Immigration Advisor before applying for your PGWP.
3. You must apply for a work permit within 180 days of receiving written proof of program completion from McGill confirming that you have met the requirements of your program (e.g. Proof of Graduation Letter or PGWP Letter from Serviced Point, see below for more information).
4. If you are applying from inside Canada, you must hold a valid study permit at the time you apply.
5. If you applied for your study permit after November 1^st, 2024 and you are graduating from a Graduate Certificate or Diploma program, you are only eligible for the PGWP if you meet the field of study requirement. IMPORTANT: The eligible field of study requirement does not apply to students in a Bachelor’s, Masters or PhD degree program.

For more information, see:

• General eligibility criteria
• Changes to PGWP eligibility criteria

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. For exact dates as to when Senate will meet, please see the McGill Senate website under Meeting dates. If your last term is:

• Winter, Senate will meet in May; 
• Summer, Senate will meet in October;
• Fall, Senate will meet in February.

After 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 (Minerva: Student Menu > Student Records > Letters-Proof of Enrolment > Proof of Enrolment/Graduation).

In addition to your Proof of Graduation letter, you must also include your official electronic transcript ordered from Enrolment Service showing final grades/results with the degree granted remarks. For instructions on how to submit your transcript, please see our Post Graduation Work Permit FAQs.

If you have circumstances that require you to apply for PGWP before Senate has met to confirm graduation, please contact Service Point to request a special letter (PGWP letter) confirming that you have completed your program. Please note that in order to receive a letter confirming degree completion from Service Point, you 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:

• Your Study Permit will expire before Senate meets;
• 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;
• You have a job offer for a job that begins before Senate will meet.

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.

The 180-day deadline to apply: Important Information

If you wish to apply for a PGWP, you must do so within 180 days from the first date you receive official written confirmation of completion of studies (either Senate meeting date or letter from Service Point, whichever comes first). You can apply for your PGWP as soon as you have proof of completion of your program requirements. You do not have to wait for 180 days to apply.

IMPORTANT!

Within the 180 days from the date you apply for your PGWP, you must hold or have held a valid Study Permit. If your study permit expired prior to you receiving proof of completion of studies, you will not have the full 180 days from proof of completion of your studies to apply for your PGWP.

Your Deadline to apply for your PGWP is:

1. 180 days from official written confirmation of completion of studies; or
2. 180 days from the expiration of Study Permit

whichever comes first.

The examples below illustrate how to calculate the PGWP application deadline.

CASE SCENARIO 1: Study Permit expires after receiving proof of completion of studies

Mohammed’s last registered term was Fall 2018. The expiry date on his study permit is August 31, 2019. His degree was granted on February 21, 2019.

When is his deadline to apply for the PGWP? His deadline to apply for his PGWP is August 21, 2019. This is because 180 days from February 21, 2019, when his degree was granted, is August 21, 2019. Watch out! Mohammed’s study permit becomes invalid 90 days from proof of completion of his studies.

See section on When does my Study Permit become invalid  below and timeline below:

The earliest Mohammed can apply for his PGWP is on February 21, 2019, once his degree has been granted. The latest he can apply is August 21, 2019, which is 180 days from when his degree was granted.

CASE SCENARIO 2: Study Permit expires before receiving proof of completion of studies

Ana’s last registered term was Summer 2018. Her study permit expired on August 31, 2018. Her degree was granted on October 24, 2018.

When is her deadline to apply for the PGWP? Her deadline to apply for her PGWP is February 27, 2019. This is because she must have held a valid study permit 180 days from the date she applies for the PGWP. 180 days from August 31, 2018, which is when her study permit expired, is February 27, 2019. Watch out! Ana does not have until April 21, 2019, to apply for her PGWP.

See timeline below:

The earliest Ana can apply for her PGWP is on October 24, 2018, once her degree has been granted. The latest she can apply is February 27, 2019, which is 180 days from the expiry of her study permit.

You can apply for your PGWP either from within Canada or from outside of Canada. Depending on where you apply from and what you choose to do during those 180 days, there are important consequences to be aware of.

Important: When does my Study Permit become invalid?

Your study permit becomes invalid 90 days after completion of studies or the day on which it expires, whichever comes first, as per section 222 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

If you do not apply for your PGWP while your study permit is still valid, you must do one of the following before your study permit becomes invalid:

1. Apply to change your status to a visitor or

2. Leave Canada.

See timeline below:

Applying for your PGWP as a student from within Canada

If you apply online for your PGWP from within Canada while your study permit is still valid, you can work full-time while waiting for a decision on your application as long as you have been continuously full-time throughout your studies, with the exception of your final term.

Applying for your PGWP as a visitor from within Canada

Please submit a myISS Request Form to request an appointment with an ISS Immigration Advisor.

Applying for your PGWP from outside of Canada

You may apply for your PGWP from outside of Canada as long as you are still within 180 days from the date you completed your studies. You do not require a valid study permit or valid visitor status in order to apply for your PGWP from outside of Canada.

How to Apply for the Post-Graduation Work Permit

You can apply for a post-graduation work permit online 

Important Notice: PGWP application at the border no longer possible
As of June 21st, 2024, international students can no longer apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) at the border. Students should instead apply online. For the full news release, please see the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website.

Applying Online

Students may apply online either from within Canada or from outside Canada. Please note that processing times (Work permit extension (new employer)) will vary by country.

1. Determine your eligibility to apply online for the PGWP by completing the online eligibility questionnaire.
2. Once approved for online application apply through your IRCC Secure account
3. Assemble your documents according to your personalized IRCC document checklist, and follow the subsequent steps.

Once you have applied from inside Canada and are waiting to receive your PGWP, you can begin to work full-time only if:

• you hold or held a valid* study permit at the time you applied for your PGWP, and
• you maintained a full-time student status every semester with the exception of your last term

*IMPORTANT! Your study permit becomes invalid 90 days after completion of studies or the day on which it expires, whichever comes first, as per section 222 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

If you have applied using the outside of Canada application (IMM1295), you will receive a Letter of Introduction when your PGWP is approved. You must bring your Letter of Introduction with you upon returning to Canada so that your PGWP can be issued at the port-of-entry. If you are inside Canada when you receive your Letter of Introduction, you can flagpole at the US/Canada border (by appointment) to be issued the PGWP at the port-of-entry. 

Required Documents

You should provide the following documents when applying for PGWP:

• Application to Change Conditions, Extend my Stay or Remain in Canada as a Worker (IMM5710): If applying for the PGWP from inside of Canada with a valid study permit.
• Application for a Work Permit Made Outside of Canada (IMM1295): If applying for the PGWP from outside of Canada. If you are in Canada on visitor status or maintained status while your study permit application is processing in Canada, you will need to apply for a PGWP “from outside Canada” category (IMM1295) from your country of citizenship (for more information please contact ISS) .
• A valid passport: Ideally, your passport should be valid for the expected duration of your PGWP. If the length of your PGWP is shortened due to your passport expiring before the PGWP validity you are eligible for, you can apply to extend your PGWP after you renew your passport.
• Proof of program completion letter: ​​​​​​You can apply for the PGWP with either:
  • Proof of Enrolment/Graduation Letter that you can access the day after Senate meets to approve degrees. This is the date that the “degree granted” remark appears on your transcript and the day you are deemed to have received official confirmation of program completion (see Convocation & Graduation FAQ page > Transcript & Diploma > "When will my transcript show degree granted?"). You can download a Proof of Graduation Letter in your Minerva account (Minerva: Student Menu > Student Records > Letters-Proof of Enrolment > Proof of Enrolment/Graduation); OR
  • A PGWP Letter from Service Point. The date of issue of your letter from Service Point is the day you are deemed to have received official confirmation of program completion. *IMPORTANT* You should only request a PGWP letter from Service Point if you must apply for your PGWP before Senate meets (e.g. you have a job offer that starts or your study permit is expiring before Senate meets)
• Official eTranscript: You can request your official eTranscript on Minerva.
  • If you apply for the PGWP after Senate has met, your official transcript must indicate “Degree Granted”.
  • If you apply for the PGWP before Senate has met (with the PGWP letter from Service Point), all of your final grades must appear on your official transcript, but it does not need to include the “Degree Granted” remark.
• Proof of English or French language test results: Starting November 1^st 2024, all PGWP applicants will be required to prove either English OR French language skills with a minimum level of Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) 7 in English OR Niveaux de competence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 7 in French in all 4 language areas for the PGWP application. See IRCC’s How to find your language level based on your test results for more information on accepted language tests and results.
• Proof of Medical Exam (optional): In order to work in certain jobs, you must first complete a medical exam with a panel physician and include proof of the medical exam (e-Medical receipt) in the PGWP application. For example, if your job requires you to work closely with the public, particularly vulnerable populations such as the elderly, the sick, or young children, you will need to complete a medical exam and obtain a PGWP without conditions preventing you from working in certain fields prior to starting your job.
• Biometrics: Your PGWP will not be issued beyond the validity of your biometrics. If your biometrics are set to expire before the expected duration of your PGWP, you may want to provide new biometrics now to avoid having to extend your PGWP. For more information, see the Biometrics tab on this webpage.

Biometrics

If you have never done biometrics:

• All foreign nationals applying for the Post-graduation work permit (PGWP) from inside or outside of Canada Canada must submit their biometrics unless they have previously submitted biometrics (see section below). Only U.S. citizens are currently exempt from the biometrics requirement.
• If you have not provided biometrics to Immigration Canada within the past 10 years, you should receive a Biometrics Instruction Letter BIL after you submit your PGWP application. Immigration Canada must receive your biometrics in order to continue processing your application. You can give your biometrics at a designated Service Canada location if you applying inside of Canada or a Visa Application Centre (VAC) if you are applying outside of Canada.
• Biometrics are valid for 10 years. If you can’t remember whether or not your biometrics are still valid, use the “Find out if your biometrics are still valid” tool.
• For more information, see Immigration Canada's "Facts about biometrics" webpage.

If you did biometrics previously but your biometrics will expire within the next 3 years:

• Before applying for your PGWP, be sure to check the expiry date of your biometrics.
• Your PGWP may only be issued until the expiry date of your biometrics and not the full 3 years that you may be entitled to.

• You must answer No to the question “In the past 10 years, have you given your fingerprints and photo (biometrics) for an application to come to Canada?” in your eligibility questionnaire for the PGWP application – even if you have done your biometrics within the past 10 years. This will allow you to pay for new biometrics, receive a Biometric Instruction Letter (BIL) and give your fingerprints and photo at a Service Canada office if you are inside Canada or a VAC if you are outside of Canada. If you have provided updated biometrics, your PGWP should be issued for the full 3 years.
• Include a cover letter in the “Client Information” section of your document checklist explaining why you answered No to the biometrics question in the eligibility questionnaire even though you provided biometrics to IRCC within the past 10 years and the reason you need to submit new biometrics with your PGWP application.

Your Post Graduation Work Permit and Your Temporary Resident Visa

If your current TRV (Entry Visa) says "Student" and is still valid, you will not need a new TRV if you are changing your status to "Worker". Your TRV is valid regardless of whether it was issued to you as a student or worker. You can enter Canada with a TRV – “student” with a work permit.

If you apply for your PGWP from outside of Canada, and your TRV or eTA expires you will be automatically issued a new TRV or eTA. You do not need to complete a separate application or pay additional fees. It will be issued by the officer at the same time as the documents you need for your entry to Canada as a worker (see Immigration Canada website). 

If you apply for your PGWP from inside of Canada, you will NOT be issued a TRV or an eTA automatically. You must apply separately for your TRV or eTA if they are expired. 

Traveling while waiting to receive your PGWP

If you have applied for your PGWP (and your study permit has expired) and you plan on traveling outside Canada while your application is in process, you can leave Canada and return.

However, in order to return and enter Canada, you must:

1. have a valid eTA OR
2. have a valid TRV to enter Canada OR
3. be a Citizen of the United States (exempt from both the eTA and TRV).  
    

Once you arrive at the Canadian border, the following scenarios may happen:

1. You may be allowed to re-enter Canada as a temporary resident if Immigration Canada has not yet made a decision on your PGWP application.  The officer at the port of entry may ask you to prove that you have enough financial capacity to support yourself in Canada. If you applied for your PGWP before your study permit expired and you are allowed to re-enter Canada as a temporary resident, you may be allowed to work while waiting for a decision on your PGWP application. See the information above on working while waiting for the PGWP.
2. You may be allowed to re-enter Canada as a worker if your work permit has been approved while you were away.

Note:  It is possible that you will not be able to enter Canada. The decision to allow you to enter Canada while your PGWP application is pending is at the discretion of the border services officer.