If your Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) is expiring or you’re a recent graduate who is no longer eligible for a PGWP, there are alternative pathways to maintain legal work status in Canada. Explore options like employer-specific work permits, provincial nominee programs (PNPs), and Express Entry pathways to continue your journey in Canada.

If you are a recent international graduate, consider the following work permit pathways to continue working in Canada:

  • Work Permits under Free-Trade Agreements: Available for eligible nationals through agreements like CUSMA, CETA, and others.
  • International Experience Canada (IEC): Provides working holiday, co-op, or young professional permits for eligible countries.
  • Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP): Employer-specific work permits for positions supported by a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
  • Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP): Work permits for skilled workers moving to Canada’s Atlantic provinces.
  • Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): Work permits for candidates or nominees under specific provincial immigration streams.
  • Spousal Open Work Permit – Post-Secondary Studies: Open work permits for spouses of international students.
  • Spousal Open Work Permit – Family Sponsorship: Open work permits for spouses awaiting permanent residency under sponsorship programs.

Here’s a high-level summary of work permit options for recent international graduates in Canada:

  • Free-Trade Agreement-Based Work Permits: Available to foreign nationals from countries that have a free trade agreement with Canada. Eligibility requirements vary depending on the specific agreement.
  • International Experience Canada (IEC): Open to foreign nationals aged 35 or younger (30 for some countries) from countries with bilateral youth mobility agreements with Canada.
  • Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP): Requires a job offer supported by a positive or neutral Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from an employer who meets additional criteria specific to the program stream.
  • Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP): Requires a job offer from an employer sponsoring you under the AIP, along with a provincial endorsement for your position.
  • Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Candidate Work Permits: Designed for individuals who are candidates under a PNP stream, with requirements varying by province and program.
  • Spousal Open Work Permit – Post-Secondary Studies: Available if your spouse is enrolled in a qualifying program at a Canadian post-secondary institution.
  • Spousal Open Work Permit – Family Sponsorship: Offered if your spouse is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who has submitted a sponsorship application for your permanent residence.

Can you work after applying for a work permit once you’ve completed your studies?

After completing your studies, you may start working full-time immediately if:

  • You were permitted to work off-campus during your studies.
  • You applied for a work permit prior to your study permit’s expiration.
  • You are awaiting the outcome of your work permit application.

Maintaining valid status in Canada is a requirement to apply for a work permit from within the country.

Work Permits Based on Free Trade Agreements

You may want to explore whether you qualify for a work permit through one of Canada’s free trade agreements.

Canada has several free trade agreements under the International Mobility Program (IMP) that provide work permits for eligible foreign nationals.

For instance, the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), is one such agreement. These agreements offer specialized work permits based on citizenship from a country with which Canada has a free trade agreement.

If you are a citizen of a country that has a free trade agreement with Canada, it’s worth checking whether the agreement includes provisions for a work permit that you may be eligible for.

International Experience Canada 

For some foreign nationals, International Experience Canada (IEC) work permits may present another viable option.

To be eligible for an IEC work permit, you need to fulfill these two requirements:

You must be a citizen of a country that has a bilateral youth mobility agreement with Canada.
You must be under the “youth” age limit, which is either 35 or 30, depending on your country of citizenship.
The following countries have signed youth mobility agreements with Canada:

Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.

There are three types of IEC work permits, each with its own eligibility criteria and work conditions:

Working Holiday

  • Requires proof of financial resources and health insurance.
  • Open work permit, meaning you can work for any employer in Canada.

Young Professionals

  • Requires proof of financial resources and health insurance, plus a job offer.
  • Employer-specific, meaning the permit is tied to a specific employer. The job must contribute to your professional development and generally must be in National Occupation Classification (NOC) TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3. A NOC 4 job may qualify if it’s in your field of study.

International Co-op (Internship)

  • Requires proof of financial resources, health insurance, and a work placement related to your studies.
  • Employer-specific, meaning the job placement must be part of your academic program.

Your nationality impacts

  • Which IEC work permit you may be eligible for.
  • Other conditions and restrictions, such as the length of the work permit and the number of times you can apply.

The Working Holiday permit is competitive, with more applicants than available permits. If you’re applying for this type, you may be selected through a lottery. Check the IRCC website for your chances based on your country’s applicant pool size.

On the other hand, Young Professionals and International Co-op permits typically have more available spaces, so you’re more likely to be approved. If you qualify for one of these employer-specific permits, applying for them may improve your chances over the Working Holiday permit.

Temporary Foreign Worker Program

If you don’t qualify for a free trade agreement-based or IEC work permit, you might consider applying for a work permit through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

TFWP work permits are employer-specific (closed) work permits, meaning they only allow you to work for the employer listed on the permit.

To apply for a TFWP work permit, you’ll need support from your employer, who must first obtain a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). This LMIA must have a positive or neutral result, indicating that hiring a foreign national for the position won’t harm the Canadian labor market.

In some cases, your employer may need to advertise the job to complete the LMIA process. Additionally, depending on the stream, there are extra requirements your employer must meet.

For certain jobs and employers, the Global Talent Stream under the TFWP allows them to bypass job advertisements and expedites the processing of your work permit application.

Note that as of September 26, 2024, ESDC has suspended LMIA processing for the low-wage stream in census metropolitan areas (CMAs) with an unemployment rate higher than 6%.

Atlantic Immigration Program

The Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) provides an opportunity for permanent residence (PR) while offering work permits to eligible candidates.

To be eligible for the AIP, you must have a job offer from a designated employer located in one of Canada’s Atlantic provinces, and you must fulfill additional criteria such as:

  • Language proficiency
  • Education
  • Work experience
  • Availability of settlement funds

Your employer is also required to have your job offer endorsed by the province where you intend to live. Once you apply for PR through the AIP, you can also apply for an employer-specific work permit, which may be granted for up to two years.

The Atlantic provinces in Canada are:

  • New Brunswick
  • Prince Edward Island (PEI)
  • Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Nova Scotia

Work Permits for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Nominees or Candidates

Some Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) offer the opportunity to obtain a work permit.

For example, the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) issues a work permit support letter to successful nominees.

As of August 11, 2024, a temporary public policy by the federal government allows provinces to issue work permits to PNP candidates. The following provinces and territories have adopted this policy so far:

  • Alberta
  • Yukon
  • Manitoba

To be eligible for a work permit under this temporary policy, you must fulfill various requirements and secure a support letter from the province or territory. This public policy is scheduled to end on December 31, 2024, but may be revoked at any time by the government.

If your spouse is studying at a Canadian post-secondary institution on a study permit, you may be eligible for a spousal open work permit. To qualify, your spouse must be enrolled in one of the following programs:

  • A master’s or PhD program that lasts at least 16 months, or
  • A professional degree program in an eligible field,

The following fields of study qualify as professional degree programs:

  • Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS, DMD)
  • Bachelor of Nursing (BN)
  • Doctor of Medicine (MD)
  • Pharmacy (PharmD, BS, BSc, BPharm)
  • Bachelor of Education (BEd)
  • Bachelor of Engineering (BEng, BE, BASc)
  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)

To apply, you will need to show proof of your spouse’s enrollment and proof of your relationship. This open work permit is generally valid for the same length as your spouse’s study permit.

Alternatively, if your Canadian citizen or permanent resident spouse has sponsored you for permanent residence, you can apply for a spousal open work permit under the family sponsorship program. You must have already applied for permanent residence and be living with your sponsor in Canada with valid temporary resident status.

Spousal Open Work Permit – Family Sponsorship

If your spouse is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and has submitted a sponsorship application for your permanent residence, you might be eligible to apply for an open work permit. To qualify, you must have already submitted your permanent residence application and be residing with your sponsor in Canada, maintaining valid temporary resident status.

Understanding Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)

A Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) is an open work permit granted to foreign nationals who have completed their studies at a Canadian post-secondary institution. If you graduated from an eligible program at a designated learning institution (DLI), you may be eligible for a PGWP, which can be valid for up to three years, depending on the length of your program.

Who is No Longer Eligible for PGWPs?

Recent changes to the PGWP eligibility rules may affect your eligibility if you initially planned on applying for a PGWP after completing your studies at a Canadian post-secondary institution.
Effective November 1, 2024, the eligibility criteria for PGWPs have been updated.
Before November 1, 2024, most full-time post-secondary programs of more than 8 months at DLIs were eligible for a PGWP.

After November 1, 2024, college and university vocational programs will only qualify for a PGWP if the field of study is aligned with Canada’s labor market needs. Bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD programs at universities remain exempt from this field-specific requirement.
Please note that language programs, such as English or French as a second language, do not qualify for a PGWP.