Canada announces changes to PG work permit from November 1; check eligibility, requirements here

The Canadian government has announced changes to its post-graduate work permit (PGWP) for international students, which will be imposed after November 1, 2024, and onwards.

What has not changed? Are there exceptions?

• To be eligible for a PGWP, you must complete a study program at a PGWP-eligible designated learning institution.
• You must meet the general and physical location eligibility requirements.
• If you apply for a PGWP before November 1, 2024, you only need to meet the current (as of date) eligibility criteria.
• If you apply for a PGWP as a graduate of a PGWP-eligible flight school, you only need to meet the current eligibility criteria (even after November 1, 2024), and the new eligibility requirements do not apply to you.

What changes to PGWP eligibility criteria for working in Canada after you graduate?

If you submit your study permit application on or after November 1, 2024, you must meet the new requirements that apply to your situation to be eligible to apply for a PGWP in Canada.

The following are the specifics with respect to various conditions:

1. If you graduated from a university bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctoral degree program.

• Language requirement: You must prove your 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.
• Field of study requirement: All fields of study are eligible. There is no additional field of study requirement.

2. If you graduated from any other university program.

• Language requirement: You must prove your English or French language skills with a minimum level of CLB 7 in English or NCLC 7 in French in all 4 language areas.
• Field of study requirement: You must graduate in an eligible field of study.

3. If you graduated from a college program or any other program not listed above.

• Language requirement: You must prove your English or French language skills with a minimum level of CLB 5 in English or NCLC 5 in French in all 4 language areas.
• Field of study requirement: You must graduate in an eligible field of study.

Overall language requirements

• You must provide proof of language ability to meet the language requirements for the PGWP when you submit your application.
• Applicants must demonstrate "proof of language ability" in reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.
• Your test results must be less than 2 years old when you submit your application.
• Language tests results accepted are: The Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), the Pearson Test of English (PTE Core), the Test d’évaluation de français (TEF Canada / French), and Test de connaissance du français (TCF Canada / French).

Field of study requirement

• If your study program has a field of study requirement, you must graduate from a program linked to certain occupations in long-term shortage.
• The fields of study are divided into 5 broad categories: agriculture and agri-food; healthcare; science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); trade; and transport.

Canada caps international student, foreign worker permits

Canada in September also announced it was slashing international student permits in 2025, and tightening foreign worker rules to further bring down the number of temporary residents in the country, as per an AFP report.

The move comes after several recent rounds of restrictions aimed at taming record immigration levels that pushed Canada's population past 41 million earlier this year.

In 2025, Ottawa plans to issue 437,000 study permits to international students, down from 485,000 this year and more than 500,000 in 2023.

It is also putting new limits on work permits for spouses of some international students and foreign workers. And it will be stepping up checks before issuing travel visas to stem a spike in fraudulent or rejected asylum claims.