The Canadian government has updated its Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) regulations for international students. A post-graduation work permit (PGWP) may be granted to individuals who graduated from a designated learning institution (DLI) and wish to temporarily work in Canada. Now, there are new rules in the post-graduation work permit program for students looking to work in the UK after their studies.

Starting February 15, 2024, students who graduate from master’s degree programs of less than 2 years (8 months minimum) will be eligible for a 3-year PGWP. The length of your PGWP depends on the level and duration of your study program, as well as the expiry date of your passport, whichever comes first.

The length of PGWPs for programs other than master’s degrees will continue to align with the length of the study program, to a maximum of 3 years.

Starting September 1, 2024, students beginning curriculum licensing agreement programs will not be eligible for a PGWP. The special measures for distance learning and PGWP validity have been extended to August 31, 2024.

In another major move, the Canadian government has made changes to restrict PGWPs from some provinces that allow public colleges to license their curriculum to be delivered by an affiliated private college.

International students enrolled in the PGWP program can continue to apply if they meet other eligibility criteria, but new students will not be eligible for a post-graduation work permit.

Canada’s government has recently announced reforms in the international education space and introduced several new rules. Canada’s intake cap for international student permit applications in 2024 is expected to result in 360,000 approved study permits, a 35% decrease from 2023.