Are you a holder of an expired or expiring post graduate work permit? The latest change in immigration policy is for you.
“We are extending the ability to work for PGWP holders, including those whose work permits have recently expired. As of April 6, if your PGWP is valid or has recently expired you can apply to extend your ability to work in Canada by up to 18 months.”
This was tweeted by Minister for Immigration Sean Fraser on his official Twittter page after the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) officially announced the policy change last March 17, 2023.
There are more or less 127,000 PGWPs that will expire this year.
The Post Graduate Work Permit Program (PGWP) allows international students who have finished their programs in Canada to obtain an open work permit to gain valuable Canadian work experience which can provide a pathway to Canadian permanent residence.
Those with expired PGWP (even those beyond the 90 day restoration period) and those who qualified for the 2022 Facilitative Measure (the policy in 2022 to address the same issue) are eligible to apply for an additional 18 month work permit as well.
So how will one know if they are eligible for this extension?
PGWP holders who are eligible will receive messages about logging into their online IRCC account, starting April 6, to opt in and update key personal information.
According to IRCC, Canada continues to face labour shortage and skilled international graduates play a huge role in addressing this shortage. They foresee that in the next decade immigrants could make up half of the country’s labour force.
Do you still have more questions? Reach out to us to learn more.