Eligibility and Length of PGWP : 8 months to 3 years

You must:

• hold a valid study permit or be allowed to study without a study permit and
• be 18 or older when you apply

 

Supporting documents

You must include these documents with your PGWP application:

• the certificate or official document that confirms you completed your program, or official transcript from a Quebec school board or recognized private school
• an official letter from the school that confirms the length of the study program (in hours or months) and the program code

 

Restrictions

You aren’t eligible for a PGWP if you:

• took distance learning programs or
• have previously been issued a PGWP.

 

 

Fees Post-graduation work permit (PGWP): $255

you must pay a CDN$100.00 Open Work Permit Holder fee in addition to the CDN$155.00 work permit processing fee.

Processing time   Online: 69 days    Paper: 111 days

You can work full-time until a decision is made on your work permit application if you:

• completed your study program
• applied for a work permit before your study permit expired and
• were eligible to work off-campus without a work permit while studying and did not work more hours than you were allowed to while working off-campus.

If these don’t apply to you, you must wait until the permit arrives to begin your new job. It is illegal to work in Canada without a permit.

If your work permit is refused, you must stop working the day you are notified of the refusal.

 

The Valid Length of A Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)

 

The post-graduation work permit is valid for the length of your study program. If your program was:

• < 8 months – :  you aren’t eligible for a PGWP
• > 8 months + < 2 years – :  your PGWP may be valid for up to the same length as your study program (for example, if you completed a 9-month program, a work permit may be issued for up to 9 months)
• > 2 years+ : a PGWP may be issued for 3 years

If you completed more than one program, you may be able to get a PGWP that combines the length of each program. For this, each of the programs you completed must be:

• PGWP-eligible and
• at least 8 months in length.

You can’t get a PGWP if you already had one after completing an earlier program of study.