Working in Canada after graduation: the PGWP explained

On campus there is no hour limit, during terms or breaks, as long as you are a full-time student at a designated learning institution (DLI) with work conditions on your study permit. Off campus you can work up to 24 hours a week during regular academic sessions, across as many jobs as you like, and unlimited hours during scheduled breaks such as the summer and winter holidays.

Off-campus work is only for students in a post-secondary academic, vocational or professional programme of at least 6 months that leads to a degree, diploma or certificate. You cannot start working before your studies begin, and you need a Social Insurance Number: applying is free, and your study permit must say you may work. Going over 24 hours in term time breaks the conditions of your study permit, so track your hours across every job.

As of 1 April 2026, post-secondary international students no longer need a co-op work permit for student work placements such as co-ops and internships. The placement must be a requirement of your programme, it must make up 50% or less of the programme, and your DLI must give you a letter confirming it is required. There is no weekly hour limit for these placements. Existing co-op permits stay valid. Secondary school students still need a co-op work permit, and English or French as a second language courses do not qualify.

A co-op is the single best thing you can do for your job search. It gives you Canadian references, a Canadian line on your resume and often a return offer.

The PGWP is an open work permit for graduates of certain DLIs, so you can work for almost any employer without an LMIA. To qualify, you must meet every condition:

• You completed a programme of at least 8 months at a PGWP-eligible DLI, studying full-time in every term (part-time is allowed only in your final term).
• You apply within 180 days of confirmation that you completed your programme, and your study permit was valid at some point in that window.
• You meet the language requirement: CLB/NCLC 7 in all four abilities for bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and other university programmes; CLB/NCLC 5 for college and other non-university programmes.
• Your field of study is eligible, if it applies to you (see the next section).

You are not eligible if you have already had a PGWP, studied only English or French as a second language, completed more than 50% of the programme by distance learning, or started a programme at a private college licensed to deliver a public college’s curriculum after 15 May 2024 (after 31 January 2023 if the two colleges are in different provinces). Check your own programme on IRCC’s eligibility page before you rely on a PGWP.

If you graduate with a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, there is no field-of-study requirement. If you are in a college diploma, certificate or other non-degree programme and you applied for your study permit on or after 1 November 2024, your programme must be linked to an eligible field of study, identified by its CIP code. Students who applied for their study permit before 1 November 2024 are not affected.

The eligible list covers fields linked to occupations in long-term shortage, in groups including agriculture and agri-food, education, healthcare and social services, STEM and trades. After the June–July 2025 update, IRCC counted 920 eligible fields. For 2026, IRCC says it won’t add or remove any. If your field was dropped in 2025, you are still eligible if it was on the list when you applied for your study permit.

The length follows your programme. For a programme of 8 months to under 2 years, IRCC may give a PGWP up to the same length as the programme. For 2 years or more, it may give 3 years. Master’s graduates can get 3 years even if the programme was shorter than 2 years, as long as it lasted at least 8 months. The permit cannot run past your passport’s expiry, so renew your passport first if it is close.

You apply online and pay $255, which is the $155 work permit fee plus the $100 open work permit holder fee, and $85 for biometrics if required. You can work while you wait only if you applied before your study permit expired, you were eligible to work off campus and you completed your programme. If your study permit runs out first, you have 90 days to apply and restore your status. You get one PGWP in your lifetime, so the programme you graduate from matters.

The PGWP is temporary; its real value is the Canadian work experience it lets you build. The main route is the Canadian Experience Class in Express Entry: at least 1 year (1,560 hours) of skilled work in a TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 job in Canada in the 3 years before you apply. Work done while you were a full-time student, even on co-op, does not count, and neither does self-employment.

Your Canadian degree or diploma adds 15 to 30 Comprehensive Ranking System points, and a provincial nomination adds 600. The Atlantic Immigration Program is also open to international graduates of Canadian institutions with a job offer from a designated employer in Atlantic Canada. Plan backwards: if your PGWP is 3 years, you want a skilled job early enough to collect 12 months and apply before the permit ends. Our work permits guide explains Express Entry and the nominee programmes.

Start in your second-to-last term, not after graduation. Your warmest leads are a co-op employer, a part-time role in your field and the people you meet through your programme, so work those before cold applications.

• Use your careers centre: resume reviews, mock interviews and employers who recruit at your institution.
• Explain your permit in one line, because an employer who has never hired an international graduate may assume you need sponsorship: “I will be eligible for a 3-year open post-graduation work permit, so you don’t need an LMIA to hire me.”
• Target TEER 0–3 roles if you want permanent residence, because those count for the Canadian Experience Class.
• Build a Canadian resume: two pages at most, no photo, results in numbers. Our Canadian resume guide shows the format, and our first job after graduation guide covers the search.
• Treat part-time jobs as evidence. Serving customers, training new staff or handling cash is experience; write it as results.

IRCC notes that graduates who can’t get a PGWP may still be able to work in Canada after graduation through another permit. The options are the same as for anyone else: an employer-specific permit, usually with an LMIA; International Experience Canada if your country takes part and you are within the age limit; or a spousal open permit if your partner qualifies. Our work permits guide compares them. Be careful with anyone offering to “fix” your eligibility for a fee: IRCC warns international students about scams, and false documents can lead to a ban.