What you should know before you apply for a PGWP!

If you are a student graduating this term, welcome to the journey of post-graduation work permit (PGWP) application in Canada! This is the first of two blogs exclusively on PGWP for 2023.

As a student, you have a unique opportunity to enhance your skills and gain valuable work experience to apply for permanent residency. This newsletter will try to guide you through the process and help you understand the requirements, eligibility, and application procedure for a PGWP. Whether you are a recent graduate or still in the final stages of your studies, this blog will provide valuable information to make your application successful and avoid common mistakes. Let’s get started!  

“What should you know for your PGWP application?”

Cedric Marin: “It is super important to read the operational instructions for visa officers. This is publicly available and covers various scenarios like accelerated studies, leave from studies and specific requirements for documents. This goes beyond the instructions for work permits for students and the document checklist. How will IRCC assess your situation? The operational instructions most likely answer these questions. Sometimes, it gets a little complicated and advice from a lawyer can help you properly prepare the application.”  

Chanelle Rosenbaum: Planning for your PGWP starts before you even get your study permit. If you hope to eventually work in Canada following your studies, it is important that you plan accordingly when choosing your program. Not all programs are PGWP eligible, so be careful when selecting a course and school. In addition, we would always recommend choosing a program of 2+ years in length, to be eligible for the full 3-year PGWP and maximize your stay in Canada. Planning for your PGWP continues throughout your studies as it is important you abide by all the conditions of your study permit, don’t take any unauthorized breaks, maintain full-time student status, and pass your courses. A lot of applicants wait to learn about the requirements for a PGWP once they have completed their studies and are ready to apply, only to find out that they haven’t met all the requirements throughout their studies and aren’t eligible. Therefore, you should always plan ahead and, if you have any interruptions to your studies which could affect your PGWP, act sooner rather than later to address it with IRCC and try and rectify the situation. 

Alicia Backman-Beharry:  Beware of unauthorized work! IRCC indicated October 7, 2022 that there would be temporary public policy measures to allow some students to work full-time off-campus during full-time studies. However, the temporary public policy did not actually take effect until November 15, 2022. If you mistakenly started working full-time between October 7, 2022 until November 14, 2022, you likely worked without authorization. Also, there are many details in the fine print of the public policy that are sure to trip up a number of people. Make sure to read IRCC”s details on Study Permits: Off-Campus Work very carefully.  Students must hold a valid study permit and IRCC must have received their study permit application on or before October 7, 2022. The study permit must be approved by IRCC. The policy only applies to students who are currently in Canada or will be entering Canada at a later date but prior to December 31, 2023.

In particular, students are not allowed to work off-campus full-time if they are in a general interest program (like ESL/FSL) or if they are taking a program of study that is a prerequisite to their enrolment at a DLI. Students cannot work full-time if their program of study at a DLI is less than 6 months in duration. Students cannot work until they have actually started their program of study in Canada at a DLI. If you are taking an intensive program that has no regularly scheduled breaks, you cannot work full-time under the public policy. If your DLI allows for scheduled breaks that are longer than 150 days, you are only eligible to work off campus during the first 150 consecutive days. If a program of studies does not have a regularly scheduled break and a student creates their own break, it is considered a leave from studies, and the student is not authorized to work at all. Also, students must stop working as soon as their full-time status becomes part-time during a regular academic session. If your DLI goes on strike during a regular academic session then students can only work part time (up to 20 hours a week) off campus. As soon as a student receives written confirmation of program completion from their DLI, they are no longer authorized to continue to work in Canada at all until the day they submit their PGWP. 

This question was featured in our newsletter on February 3, 2023. Subscribe now!