Everything You Need To Know About the Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)
Students in Canada need to get an appropriate work permit after graduating or finishing the program that allowed them to enter the country, and one of the best options that they have after their studies is PGWP.
Don’t know what it is or what you would have to do in order to get it? Don’t worry, we got you.
In this blog, we are going to list down every information available about the Post Graduation Work Permit Calgary to help immigrant students have knowledge on what they would have to do after finishing their studies.
What Is PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit)
A PGWP (Post-Graduation Work permit) allows you to remain in Canada and work full time after you complete your study in the country. Please do keep in mind that you are not required to have a job offer to apply and this one allows you to work anywhere in Canada in any occupation even if the work is unrelated to your studies.
Important note: You only have up to 180 days to apply for a PGWP after you get you get your:
- degree or diploma
- transcript
- official letter from your school
For more information about PGWP, contact CS Immigrations!
Who Is Not Allowed To Apply For PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit)
You are not allowed to apply for a PGWP in case:
- have a study permit that expired more than 180 days before you applied
- already received a PGWP
- studied English or French as a second language
- took general interest or self-improvement courses
- participated in the Government of Canada Awards Program funded by Global Affairs Canada
- had received funding from Global Affairs Canada
- Note: If you got a Study in Canada scholarship, you’re still eligible for a PGWP.
- got the Equal Opportunity Scholarship, Canada-Chile
- participated in the Canada-China Scholars’ Exchanges Program
- participated in the Organization of American States Fellowships Program
- completed the major part of a study program through distance learning (online courses, e-learning or correspondence)
- completed a study program at a non-Canadian institution located in Canada
Source of the information: Canada.ca
What Happens If Your Passport Expires Before Your PGWP?
In case your passport expires before your PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) there are a number of things that you can do.
In case your passport expires before your PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) the government of Canada will:
- Issue a PGPW that is only valid until your passport expires
- Tell you if you need to extend it to get full validity of your PGWP
Important note: You can only extend a PGWP in case the government of Canada allows you to do such a thing. In case this does happen, you will need to apply on paper to extend your PGWP for it to be extended to its full length.
6 Facts about PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit)
Here some amazing facts about PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit):
- A PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) is valid for anywhere from 8 months to 3 years.
- A PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) is not issued for longer than the applicant’s duration of study in Canada
- The PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) has the same duration as the applicant’s period of study.
- The maximum duration of the PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) is three years.
- You are eligible for a PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) if more than 50 percent of your program is conducted inside an actual class.
- In case you studied part time, the length of your PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) is going to be the length of the program that you studied.
Please do note that these are just some of the many amazing facts about the PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit).
How Long Does It Take To Get A Post Graduation Work Permit?
A PGWP, which you can get with the help of a Top Canada Immigration in Consultant, can take anywhere from 80 days to 180 days to process. The good thing about this is that while you are waiting for your Post Graduation Work Permit, you are free to work in Canada provided you applied prior to the expiry date of your study permit.
Canada Immigration Services would also like to remind you that you have around 180 days to apply for your PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) from the date you completed all the requirements of your program to study.
Another thing that we would like to remind you is that in case you do leave Canada after your studies have been completed, you can still apply for a Post Graduation Work Permit from a different country.
In case you do apply for a Post Graduation Work Permit from a different country, the government of Canada will require you to submit additional documentation.
Can You Apply For A PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) From A Different Country?
Yes, it was recently announced by the government of Canada that you can now apply for a Post Graduation Work Permit even if you are not in the country.
Like what we mentioned above, in case you do leave Canada after your studies have been completed, you can still apply for a Post Graduation Work Permit from a different country. In case you do apply for a Post Graduation Work Permit from a different country, the government of Canada will require you to submit additional documentation.
PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) Eligibility Criteria
Here is the eligibility criteria for PGWP:
You can apply for a PGWP if
- your study permit has been valid within the last 180 days
- you have a valid visitor record
- you submitted an application to extend your study permit before it expired and no decision has been made on your application
- you submitted an application to change your status to visitor before your study permit expired and no decision has been made on your application
You must also have
- completed a study program
- at a designated learning institution
- that was at least 8 months long and
- that led to a degree, diploma or certificate
- maintained full-time status as a student in Canada during each semester of your study program
- This doesn’t include your final semester, which can be part-time, or if you took an approved leave from your studies.
- If you had to stop studying or change to part-time studies between March 2020 and the fall semester in 2020 because of reasons related to COVID-19, you may still be eligible for a PGWP.
- graduated from one of the following:
- a public post-secondary institution, such as a college, trade/technical institution, university or CEGEP (in Quebec)
- a private post-secondary institution in Quebec that operates under the same rules as public institutions in Quebec
- a private or public secondary or post-secondary institution (in Quebec) that offers qualifying programs of 900 hours or longer, that leads to a diploma of vocational studies (DVS), or an attestation of vocational specialization (AVS);
- An AVS can be less than 900 hours if combined with a DVS.
- a Canadian private institution that is authorized to award degrees under provincial law (for example, an Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree), but only if you’re enrolled in a study program that leads to a degree as authorized by the province, which may not include all programs of study offered by the private institution.
Source of the information: Canada.ca
How Many Times Can You Apply For A PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit)?
Students have to keep in mind that they can only apply for a PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) once. In case they are planning to take another program of study that is a continuation of the program that you took or are planning to take a longer program in Canada, you might want to get a PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) strategically.
Please do keep in mind that applying after the longest period of study will give you a PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) that has a longer validity.
Fun Fact: The maximum validity of PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) is 3 years.
How Long Is A PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) Valid For?
A PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) is valid according to the length of the program that you got. For example, most of the PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) have a validity of anywhere from 8 months to 2 years.
In case the program that you got is between 8 months to 2 years long, the validity of your PGWP is going to be equivalent to the duration of your study program. This means that if the program’s duration is of 2 years or more, the PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) that you will be getting is going to be valid for up to 3 years, which is also the maximum validity of the PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit).
Can You Work After Graduation Before Applying For PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit)?
International graduates who apply for a PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) before the expiration date of their study permit are legally allowed to work in Canada. Such candidates do not need to hold a work permit in Canada while they wait for a decision on their application for a PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit).
Please do note that in case your student permit expires, you are eligible to restore your status and apply again.
How Is The Application For A PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) Submitted?
Candidates are allowed to submit their application for the PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) through the internet or via mail to the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada).
Can You Get Your PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) Renewed?
A PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) cannot be renewed beyond the maximum duration to the holder’s study program. When a PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) is about to expire, the student, who can also be called as the holder, is required to apply for a different type of permit, particularly a work permit, or a type of visa if they want to stay or continue working in Canada and its provinces.
Does The Holder of A PGWP Need To Have A Skilled Job?
Any student who holds a PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) is allowed to work in any job for any employer. This means that PGWP holders can work in Canada, like literally anywhere.
Note: There are restrictions for some provinces when it comes to PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit).
Can The PGWP Remain Valid If The Passport Of The Holder Expires?
Please do keep in mind that PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) is only valid for up to the expiry date of a passport. The maximum you can get is 3 years and the minimum that you can get is a couple of months.
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