Post-Graduation Work Permit Cheat Sheet

To be eligible for the PGWP, you must have completed a program that is at least 8 months in duration and have maintained continuous, full-time student status in every semester with the exception of your final semester.

• For undergraduate and non-thesis students, full-time means attempting a minimum of 12 credits per semester.
• Thesis students are considered to be full-time regardless of the number of credits they take per semester.

NOTE: If you did not maintain a full-time status in every semester of your program, with the exception of your final semester, contact ISS for assistance in submitting your application.

Additionally, as of November 1st 2024, 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 in order to be eligible for the PGWP.  Please refer to the IRCC website for more information on accepted language tests and results. 

The deadline to submit your application is 180 days from the date you receive official confirmation of program completion OR 180 days from the date your study permit expires – whichever date comes first.

Please note, you must hold a valid study permit at the time you receive official notification of program completion to remain eligible for the PGWP.

If you do not hold a valid study permit at the time you receive official confirmation of program completion, you may still apply but should include a cover letter as to why; the issuance of your PGWP will remain at the discretion of the agent assessing your file. 

You will receive an official confirmation of program completion:

• In a Proof of Graduation Letter the day after Senate meets to approve degrees, which is the date that the degree granted remark appears on your transcript (see Convocation & Graduation FAQ page > Transcript & Diploma > "When will my transcript show degree granted?"). This is the day you are deemed to have received official confirmation of program completion. 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

• In a Post-Graduation Work Permit 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. *NOTE* You can 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).

If you have been full-time in every semester of your program with the exception of your final semester and your study permit is valid, you can continue to work as per the on and off-campus work regulations until the day you receive official confirmation of program completion. Once you receive official confirmation of program completion, you must stop working.

You may resume working only after you either:

• have submitted an online PGWP application and are eligible to work while an online application is processing, or;
• have obtained your PGWP.

NOTE: If you have not been full-time in every semester of your program due to course withdrawals, leave of absence(s) or gap term(s), you may be authorized to work in your final term ONLY if you are registered full-time; however, you cannot work from the end of your final term until you obtain your PGWP.

You can work while your application is processing if all of the following apply:

• You applied from inside Canada;
• You held a valid SP at the time you submitted your application;
• You were a full-time student in every semester (with the exception of your final semester and/or an approved Leave of Absence of 150 days or less); and
• You were eligible to work off campus without a work permit while studying and you didn’t work more hours than you were allowed to.

If you do not meet all the requirements above, you cannot work while your application is processing – even if you receive an Acknowledgment of Receipt letter from Immigration Canada that says you can. You can only begin to work once your PGWP application has been approved.

• You can apply online from inside Canada, and if eligible, work while your application is processing; or
• You can apply from outside of Canada, and can only work in Canada once you have obtained your PGWP

If you are in Canada and have maintained status as a student (i.e., your study permit extension application is still processing), you cannot submit an inside Canada PGWP application (IMM 5710). You will need to either:

• Wait for your study permit extension application to be approved and then submit an inside Canada PGWP application (IMM 5710) before the study permit expires. If you are worried that your study permit extension application will not be approved in time to apply for the PGWP contact us for further guidance;
• Submit an outside Canada PGWP application (IMM 1295) while you are physically residing inside Canada. You will need to include a cover letter explaining your situation. Please note however, even if otherwise eligible, you will not be authorized to work in Canada while your PGWP application is pending if you submit an outside of Canada application (IMM1295); or
• Leave Canada and submit an outside Canada PGWP application (IMM 1295)

Please contact us if you have any questions about applying for the PGWP while on maintained status.

If you are inside Canada as a visitor and wish to apply for your PGWP, you must submit an application for your PGWP as if you were outside Canada. Please note however, even if otherwise eligible, you will not be authorized to work while your PGWP application is pending. Contact us for more information.

If the type of job you plan on doing will bring you into close contact with “vulnerable people”, you may need to undergo a medical exam by a panel physician - even if you are not prompted to do so when submitting your PGWP application. Consult the Immigration Canada website for more details.

You only need to take an English OR French test. One language is sufficient. IRCC accepts the following English OR French tests:

English tests

CELPIP: Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program
•You should take the CELPIP-General test.
IELTS: International English Language Testing System
•You should take the IELTS General Training option.
PTE Core: Pearson Test of English
•You should take the PTE Core option

French tests

TEF Canada: Test d’évaluation de français

TCF Canada: Test de connaissance du français