Canada Post Graduate
Work Permit

Many foreign students who complete their graduation in Canada wish to stay and obtain work experience in the country.

Once students complete their studies in any of the eligible programs at a reputed post-secondary institution in Canada, international graduates can apply for Post-Graduation Work Permit that allows them to work in Canada.

In an effort to retain foreign students, IRC (Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada) operates a Post-Graduate Work Permit Program. Under this category, international graduates can obtain a 3-year open work permit and work for a Canadian employer in any industry of their choice. They need not have a Canadian job offer at the time of submitting an application.

Eligibility for Post-Graduate Work Permit

In order to be eligible for this program, international students must:

• Have studied a full-time (8 months) preceding the completion of a program and must have graduated from any of the following:
  • Any public post-secondary institution – college, university, CEGEP; or
  • A private post-secondary institution operating under the same rules and regulations as public institutions, and receiving 50% of its financing from government grants; or
  • Any Canadian private educational institution authorized by territorial or provincial statute to confer a degree
• Apply for work permit within 90 days of receiving a written confirmation from the academic institution stating that they have successfully met all the requirements for the program;
• Have successfully completed/passed a study program and received a written notification of the degree/diploma/certificate obtained; and
• Have a study permit when applying for Canadian work permit.

Note for Potential Applicants:

• The study program should be of minimum 2 years for graduates to obtain a 3-year work permit. In case if the program was less than 2 years but more than 8 months, graduates can still obtain a work permit. Students who have obtained 1-year degree or diploma from an accredited educational institution within 2 years successful completion of a previous accredited post-secondary degree/diploma in Canada, may qualify for a 3-year open work permit; and
• Students who fulfill all the other criteria except for full-time study in the last session can also apply.