Work in Canada after you graduate: About the process
You may be eligible for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) if you graduated from a designated learning institution (DLI) and want to stay in Canada temporarily to work.
Not all DLIs make you eligible for a post-graduation work permit. Check the DLI list to find out which schools offer programs that make you eligible.
How long is a post-graduation work permit valid?
How long your PGWP is valid for depends on the length of your study program. If your program was:
- less than 8 months
- you aren’t eligible for a PGWP
- more than 8 months but less than 2 years
- your PGWP may be valid for up to the same length as your study program (for example, if you completed a 9-month program, a work permit may be issued for up to 9 months)
- 2 years or more
- a PGWP may be issued for 3 years
If you completed more than one program, you may be able to get a PGWP that combines the length of each program. For this, each of the programs you completed must be:
- PGWP-eligible and
- at least 8 months in length.
You can’t get a PGWP if you already had one after completing an earlier program of study.
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¶ If your passport expires before your PGWP should
Make sure your passport is valid for the entire length of time you should be eligible for. If your passport expires earlier:
- we’ll only issue you a PGWP that’s valid until your passport expires
- we’ll tell you if you need to extend it to get the full validity
You can only extend a PGWP if we tell you to. If this happens, you have to apply on paper to extend your PGWP so that it’ll be valid for the full length it should be.
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