Post-Graduate Work Permit

Benefits

A Post Graduate Work Permit, like some other Canadian visa applications, offers international students no restrictions on the type of employment you seek and no job offer needs to be in place. The program extends your opportunity to gain valuable Canadian work experience, an important factor when applying for Canadian citizenship through the Canadian Experience Class program.

To be eligible for immigration to Canada via the Experience Class program, you will need a minimum of one year of work experience in Canada in managerial, professional or technical positions, at level 0, A or B under the National Occupational Classification system.

Eligibility

International students applying for this type of working permit must have studied full-time for eight months preceding the completion of their program of studies and graduated from a public post-secondary institution, such as a college, university or CEGEP (in Quebec); or a private post-secondary institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as public institutions.

The private school has to receive at least 50 percent of its financing for its overall operations from government grants (currently, only private college-level educational institutions in Quebec qualify). Alternatively, international students from a private Canadian institution authorized by provincial or territorial statute to confer degrees also qualify.

International students intending to relocate to Canada must apply for a Post Graduate Work Permit within 90 days of receiving written confirmation that they have met the minimum requirements at the institution they have been studying. The Canadian study visa must also be valid when they apply for the Canadian Post Graduate work permit. 

One point worth remembering is, if your study course lasted less than two years but longer than eight months, you are still eligible for the Post-Graduate Work Permit, however, the work permit visa must be longer than your period of study.

You may also like to view our Canda sponsored visa guide once you have read this page.

Duration

The Post Graduate Work Permit visa has been extended to three years across all of Canada. At the end of the three years, as long as you have amassed one year's employment experience in managerial, professional or technical position you can apply for permanent residence in Canada through the Canadian Experience Class. Find out further information on our Sponsor Visa page.