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Obtaining a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP Canada) while studying in Canada mainly depends on the length of your education. Typically, a work permit is issued under the PGWP for the duration of the study programme. The maximum length of the PGWP in Canada is three years. For instance, if your postgraduate degree is two years long, you will be issued a three-year PGWP visa. A post-graduate work permit is only valid for the duration of the student's study. The course must last at least eight months in order to receive a postgraduate work permit in Canada.
After graduating, students can stay in Canada and get work experience with a post-graduation work visa. However, students must have graduated from a recognised Canadian institution. This gives students the chance to gain work experience in Canada. Gaining skilled Canadian work experience through the PGWP qualifies graduates for permanent residence in Canada via the Express Entry Canadian experience class.
After graduating from a DLI, you are not automatically eligible for a PGWP. A PGWP application must be submitted within 180 days of obtaining final grades. Also, ensure that your study permit does not expire before you receive your final marks.
International students who have finished their studies at a Canadian Designated Learning Institution are granted Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWPs) . PGWPs are open work permits that allow foreign nationals to work for any company in Canada, regardless of location.
GWPs enable qualified graduates to gain valuable work experience in Canada. Many foreigners qualify for Canada's permanent residency programmes after having sufficient work experience in the nation, which includes one of the following options:
Temporary Foreign Workers Program
The usual temporary worker visa is the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. It is given to foreign workers who have previously accepted a job offer from a Canadian employer and for whom the company has obtained a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from the Government of Canada.
Open Work Permit
The Open Work Permit is issued to foreign workers who arrive in Canada with a job offer but wish to change companies. This is distinct from other work permits/visas because it is not employer-specific. Other work permits/visas do not permit you to change jobs.
Working Holiday Visa
The Working Holiday Visa is granted to young people from 30 countries so that they can work and travel in Canada. It is a random selection visa, meaning that applicants will submit their applications and then wait to be chosen randomly to apply for the work permit.
Post Graduate Work Permit
The Post Graduate Work Permit is granted to students who have finished a degree from a Canadian educational institution and wish to remain in Canada for an extended period of time by working.
The following levels of study and programs are eligible for PGWPs:
A PGWP (post-graduation work permit) is valid for three years. Your permit will be valid for the duration of your studies in Canada. The permission is only valid for the course of your academic programme.
If the official length of your program of study is:
The Letter of Completion is a letter issued by the College stating that a student has completed their award requirements and is either eligible to graduate or has graduated. An application must be assessed and accepted by the Discipline, Finance, Library, and Learning and Teaching Committees before a student can receive a Letter of Completion. As a result, a Letter of Completion cannot be granted until about 15 working days after the students' final results have been disclosed.
Make sure your passport is valid for the duration of your PGWP.
Whether your passport expires before your PGWP, the government will issue you a PGWP that is only valid until the expiration of your passport and will notify you if you need to extend it in order to obtain the full validity of your PGWP. You may only extend a PGWP if the government authorise it. If this happens, you must apply in writing to have your PGWP extended for the whole time.
You can work full-time while waiting for a decision on your post-graduation work permit application if, at the time you submitted your application, you:
Have a valid study permit, had completed your academic programme, were allowed to labour off-campus without a permit and worked no more than 20 hours per week away from school during academic sessions
Canadian Experience Class: The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) programme, which is administered through the Express Entry immigration system, is one of the quickest methods to get Canadian permanent residence. While there are a variety of eligibility factors for this programme, including age, language proficiency, and level of education, applicants must demonstrate that they have at least 12 months of continuous, full-time, skilled work experience in Canada within the previous three years or an equivalent amount in part-time experience.
Federal Skilled Worker Program: The FSW programme is a merit-based immigration programme that uses a points-based Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score to automatically rank candidates, inviting only those with the most competitive profiles to apply for permanent residency. FSW can be a wonderful avenue to become a permanent resident if an overseas student passes the eligibility standards and is very competitive in the CRS score system.
Provincial Nominee Programs: Each province and territory in Canada has its own immigration policy known as the Provincial Nominee Program (PNPs). Because each PNP is tailored to the demands of a certain province or territory, it operates differently. Many PNPs favour applicants who have a link to the province, such as past studies completed in the province or work experience earned in the province. An international student may be entitled to apply for a PNP within the province where they completed their degree of study.
Quebec has its own immigration system, with rules and procedures that differ from the rest of the country. However, Quebec's immigration programmes, like the rest of Canada's, are constructed in such a way that international students enjoy benefits when applying for permanent residence.
The Canadian government permits the work permit holder to include his immediate relatives in the application. Your spouse or common-law partner, as well as small children, are permitted to join you in Canada. To be considered a family application, you must include their documents with your application.
Dependents of a legitimate migrant to a country, such as a spouse, dependent children, or parents, can enter and reside in the country with a dependent visa. Such dependents are eligible to seek a dependent visa to accompany the migrant to the country.
The Canadian Experience Class is designed for talented people who have worked in Canada and desire to become permanent residents.
You have to meet the required language levels for each language ability for your job:
Have at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada during the last three years before applying—you can achieve this requirement in a variety of ways:
Full-time at one job: 30 hours per week for 12 months equals one year full-time (1,560 hours)
Equal amount in part-time work: for example, 15 hours per week for 24 months equals one year full-time (1,560 hours).
To achieve this criterion, you may work as many part-time jobs as you need.
Full-time work at multiple jobs: 30 hours each week for 12 months at multiple jobs = 1 year full-time (1,560 hours).
Has earned work experience in Canada while on temporary residence status with work authorisation
The following are a few Canadian immigration programmes that will teach you about the various ways in which temporary foreign workers can apply for Canadian permanent residency:
Name Of Program |
Language Skills |
Work Experience |
Duration Of Work Experience |
Job Offer |
Education |
Atlantic Immigration Pilot |
CLB 4 |
Not Required |
Not Required |
Required |
Two Year Graduate Program from An Institute In Atlantic Canada |
Canadian Experience Class |
CLB In Case of NOC 0 Or A. CLB 5 In Case of NOC B |
Experience In NOC 0, A Or B From Canada |
12 Months |
Not Required |
Not Required |
Federal Skilled Trades Program |
CLB 5 (Listening/Speaking) CLB 4 (Reading/Writing) |
Experience In NOC B |
2 Years in The Last 5 Years |
Required |
Not Required |
Federal Skilled Workers Program |
CLB 7 |
Experience In NOC 0, A, B |
1 Year Continuous |
Not Required |
Secondary Education Required |
Provincial Nominee Program |
Strong English/French Skills Varying by Provinces |
May Include Experience in One of The NOC Levels |
Province Specific |
Province Specific |
Province Specific |
Rural Northern Immigration Pilot |
CLB 6 – NOC A CLB 5 – NOC B CLB 4 – NOC C OR D |
Required |
Not Required |
Required |
Variable |
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