Canada’s government has issued delivery updates for the Post-graduation work permit (PGWP) program. Instructions have been given to officers that curriculum licensing agreement (CLA) programs have now been issued an additional designated learning institution (DLI) number to indicate enrollment in a CLA.

There are now distinct DLI numbers for private career college programs delivered as part of a curriculum licensing agreement. The DLI and program should be reviewed to ensure the applicant is eligible for PGWP.

Officers can request additional documentation, if needed, in support of the applicant’s attendance in an eligible DLI or program of study.

Exception 1: Curriculum licensing agreements between provinces/territories: Students who began a program of study at a private college being delivered on behalf of a public college in another province/territory on or before January 31, 2023, may be eligible for a PGWP. They must also meet all other PGWP eligibility criteria.

Students beginning these cross-jurisdictional programs on or after February 1, 2023 are not eligible for a PGWP.

For example, a student enrolled in a cross-jurisdictional curriculum program on September 1, 2022, and finalized their program in May 2024. They would remain eligible for a PGWP because they were enrolled before January 31, 2023.

Students who have completed their cross-jurisdictional program and submitted an application for a PGWP on or before January 31, 2023, continue to be eligible.

For example, a student completed their program under a cross-jurisdictional curriculum program on October 31, 2022. They must have applied for their PGWP on or before January 31, 2023, to be eligible.

Exception 2: Curriculum licensing agreements within the same province: Students who began a program of study at a private college being delivered on behalf of a public college in the same province before May 15, 2024, may be eligible for a PGWP. They must also meet all other program eligibility criteria.

For example, a student who began a program of study under a curriculum licensing agreement program on May 14, 2024, may be eligible for a PGWP. Students must continue to meet all other eligibility criteria.
No exceptions: Students beginning curriculum licensing agreement programs on or after May 15, 2024, will not be eligible for a PGWP.

The “reduced facilitation measures” are in effect between September 1, 2022, and August 31, 2024, for international students who began or will begin PGWP-eligible programs between those dates.

To be eligible for the facilitation measures in the validity period, these students must meet one of the following requirements:

Have a valid study permit
Have been approved for a study permit and have yet to arrive in Canada between the dates or
Have submitted a study permit application before beginning their program that was approved before August 31, 2024

All students who started or will start a program of study between September 1, 2022, and August 31, 2024, are required to complete at least 50% of their program (or programs) of study in Canada.

For the above group of students, up until August 31, 2024, time spent studying outside Canada will be counted toward the overall length of the PGWP only if it constitutes less than 50% of the program.

A study permit application must be received before any time spent studying at a DLI while physically outside Canada counts toward the length of the PGWP. For clarity, any studies an applicant started before receiving a study permit application do not count.

For example, eligible programs must be a minimum of 8 months. If the applicant completes only 7 months of studies after their study permit application is received, they will not be eligible for a PGWP.

Students who graduate while outside Canada and meet the eligibility requirements of the reduced facilitation measures described above do not need to hold or have held a valid study permit within 180 days of applying for the PGWP.

To be eligible to apply, these graduates:

Must either have a study permit or have held a study permit and
Must apply within 180 days of receiving written notification from their DLI that they completed their program
Up to 100% of their program can be completed online from outside Canada.

If a student’s courses were moved online due to the pandemic, the time the student spent studying online in Canada until August 31, 2024, still counts toward the length of the PGWP. However, students are highly recommended to attend in-class options when offered.

The temporary policy change for in-Canada students studying online ends on August 31, 2024.