By: Monica Diaz, Senior Immigration Consultant
For years, Canada has been an attractive destination for international students who are pursuing post-secondary education and one reason for this is the option to work in Canada after graduation with a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP).
The PGWP is an open work permit that allows recent post-secondary graduates to work full time in Canada and gain work experience in the Canadian labour market; an experience that eventually could lead to permanent residency. In this blog, we will discuss some key points to wisely use your PGWP if your plan is to become a permanent resident of Canada.
1. Check your eligibility:
Graduation from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) does not automatically make you eligible for a PGWP. Check the DLI list to find out if your schools offer a PGWP option.
Must have maintained full-time status as a student in Canada.
If the length of your program of study is less than 8 months, you are not eligible for a PGWP.
Students of English or French as a second language programs are not eligible for a PGWP
As of November 1, 2024, all PGWP applicants must meet the following new requirements:
Submit proof of language proficiency with their applications. University graduates must score at least Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 or Niveaux de competence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 7 in French in all 4 language areas and college graduates must score at least CLB 5 or NCLC 5 in French in all 4 language areas;
University graduates from programs that do not lead to a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctoral degree must graduate in an eligible field of study;
College graduates must graduate in an eligible field of study.
The fields of study are linked to certain occupations and are divided into 5 major categories: agriculture and agri-food; healthcare; science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); trade; transport.
If you submitted your study permit application before November 1, 2024, you must meet only the language requirement described above when applying for the PGWP.
Apply for your PGWP as soon as you complete the credits of the program and no later than 180 days after you graduate.
2. Apply for jobs before graduation: Finding a skilled job is not always easy and you do not want to lose time when you can start accumulating Canadian work experience on your PGWP.
Although it is ideal, you do not have to apply for jobs exclusively related to the field of study you graduated from.
3. Type of job: If you intend to transition to PR through the Canadian Experience Class within Express Entry, this work experience must be in a skilled position, as per the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC), Canada’s national system for describing occupations.
Eligible occupations must be classified under TEER (training, education, experience and responsibilities) 0, 1, 2, or 3 job categories. The second digit of the NOC code identifies the TEER category.
o Example: A person working as a Chef. The NOC is 62200 – the second digit “2” indicates TEER 2, so it is a skilled position
o Example: A person working as a Cashier. The NOC is 65100 – the second digit “5” indicates TEER 5, a non-skilled occupation.
Tip: Many students work in retail (sales associates/representatives), which is not considered a skilled occupation, but if you are promoted to a supervisory, managerial position (i.e. store manager) then you are able to cumulate skilled work experience
4. Do not become self-employed: Although it is exciting to own and operate your own business, self-employment work does not count towards Canadian Experience Class.
5. Eligible work experience on PGWP: To meet the minimum requirement for CEC you must have at least 1 year of skilled work experience in Canada in the last 3 years before you apply for permanent residency.
This must be a paid job (i.e. no internships, no volunteer work).
The magic number for eligibility is 1560 hours of paid, skilled work. This can be achieved by working full-time at 1 job (30 hours/week for 12 months = 1 year full-time (1,560 hours)). Alternatively, you can work part-time more or less than 15 hours/week as long as it adds up to 1,560 hours (this can involve working more than one part-time job).
Note that hours of work above 30 hours/week do not count.
If you are a recent graduate looking to apply for a PGWP or a worker on a PGWP interested in assessing your options for permanent residency, please contact us. You can book a consultation by sending an email to reception@migrationlawgroup.com or by calling 416-203-2899 x 30.
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