Canada permits students who graduate from approved Canadian educational institutions to receive open work permits. The validity period of such ‘Post-Graduate Work Permits’ (PGWP) corresponds to the length of the course of study, to a maximum of three years. These are open work permits which allow these post-graduate students to work for any employer. The experience gained by these now foreign workers can also be important for their future permanent residence applications.
Canada has updated some of the policies and procedures in securing such work permits. Among other important updates and clarifications for the program, are:
- Eased requirements concerning the applicant’s status at the time of application, and the amount of time available to submit the PGWP application. These issues have often created difficulties for students to seek their PGWPs. Under the new scheme:
- The requirement to hold a valid study permit at the time of application submission has been removed. [However, for inland applications by students still in Canada, they must still have valid status of some sort.]
- The application can now be submitted up to 6 months after notification of completion of the program, rather than 90 days. [Note that time runs from the first form of notification, whether that be receipt of transcripts, formal notification of completion, or otherwise.]
- Where an applicant requires a visa and is applying outside Canada, a PGWP approval will also garner a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), allowing travel. (Note that where an application is filed inland, and the applicant travels abroad, he/she will need a new TRV, if necessary, to allow travel back to Canada.)
- Where a student has accelerated their studies (e.g. they have completed a three-year program in two years), the PGWP may be issued for the ordinary length of the program (i.e. three years in this example).
- Distance (including online) learning is not eligible for a PGWP. If the program has more than a 50% distance learning component, it will be considered ineligible.
- Where a Canadian educational program has an overseas component, only the time spent in Canada will be counted for the PGWP.
- Students who apply for their PGWPs before the expiry of their study permits may work full time without a work permit while awaiting the work permit application decision.
- While the program is for full-time students, where a student needed only part-time study in their final academic session (as they did not need additional credits to complete the program), they will still be considered eligible for a PGWP.
These are some of the highlights of the recent pronouncements by the government. Certainly, PGWPs can be a boon for both worker (formerly student), as well as prospective employers seeking new talent.
The information in this article is for general purposes only, and not intended as legal advice for any particular situation.