Post-study work visa in Canada
Graduate work route
Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)
Duration: 1–3 years
Starting salary signal
C$55,000–75,000
Employment rate: 82%
Work rights and hiring sectors
During study: 20 hrs/week (during term). Minimum wage signal: C$15.50–16.75/hr.
PR pathway context
Express Entry (CRS) / PNP · typical time to eligibility: 1–3 years post-study.
- 1+ year Canadian work experience (PGWP)
- CLB 7+ (IELTS 6.0+)
- CRS score competitive (~470+)
- Provincial Nominee Programs boost by 600 pts
Canada's post-study work visa is the post-graduation work permit (PGWP), an open work permit of up to 3 years for graduates of eligible designated learning institutions. Master's graduates get 3 years after any programme of 8 months or more; other graduates get a permit matching their programme length, or 3 years for programmes of 2 years or longer. You must apply within 180 days of your final results, pay CAD 255 (about ₹17,300), and prove English at CLB 7 for university degrees or CLB 5 for college programmes. College and non-degree graduates who applied for their study permit on or after 1 November 2024 must also have studied in an eligible field.
What is the post-graduation work permit, and who is eligible?
The PGWP is Canada's post-study work route: an open work permit that lets a graduate work for any employer, in any province, without a job offer or labour market test. It is the bridge between a study permit and the Canadian work experience that Express Entry and the provincial nominee programmes reward, and for most Indian students it is the reason Canada was chosen over other destinations. Graduating from a designated learning institution does not make you eligible on its own; the programme and the institution must both be PGWP-eligible, which you can check on IRCC's DLI list before you accept an offer.
The general conditions are fixed: a programme of at least 8 months (900 hours in Quebec) at a PGWP-eligible DLI, full-time status in every semester except possibly the final one, an application within 180 days of the school confirming completion, and a study permit that was valid at some point during those 180 days. Time spent studying online from outside Canada after 31 August 2024 does not count, and a programme with more than half its content delivered by distance learning is not eligible.
Since 1 November 2024 two further tests apply. Every applicant except flight-school graduates must prove English or French: CLB 7 in all four abilities for graduates of bachelor's, master's, doctoral and other university programmes, CLB 5 for graduates of college, polytechnic and other non-university programmes. And graduates of non-degree programmes who submitted their study permit application on or after 1 November 2024 must have graduated in a field on IRCC's eligible list, which is linked to occupations in long-term shortage. IRCC has frozen that list for 2026: nothing is added or removed this year.
How long is the PGWP in Canada, by programme?
The permit length is set by the level and length of the programme, capped by your passport's expiry date. Master's degrees have had their own rule since 15 February 2024.
| Programme completed | PGWP length | Language required | Field-of-study test |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master's degree of 8 months or more (any length) | 3 years | CLB 7 | No |
| Doctoral degree | 3 years | CLB 7 | No |
| Bachelor's degree (typically 4 years) | 3 years | CLB 7 | No |
| Other university programme of 2 years or more (e.g. graduate diploma) | 3 years | CLB 7 | Yes, if study permit applied for on or after 1 Nov 2024 |
| Other university programme of 8 months to under 2 years | Same as programme length | CLB 7 | Yes, same condition |
| College diploma or advanced diploma of 2 years or more | 3 years | CLB 5 | Yes, same condition |
| College graduate certificate of 8 months to under 2 years | Same as programme length (e.g. 1-year certificate → 1 year) | CLB 5 | Yes, same condition |
| Two eligible programmes back to back (each 8+ months) | Combined length, up to 3 years; meet the higher language level | Higher of the two | Applies to any non-degree component |
| Accelerated completion (e.g. 1-year programme finished in 8 months) | Full normal programme length | As above | As above |
Source: IRCC — About the PGWP and PGWP: Who can apply, read 26 Sep 2026. A permit is issued only up to your passport expiry; if the passport expires earlier you must extend the PGWP on paper after renewing it.
What English score do you need for the PGWP? CLB 7 and CLB 5 explained
IRCC accepts CELPIP General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core for English (TEF Canada and TCF Canada for French). IELTS Academic, which most Indian students took for admission, is not accepted for the PGWP, so plan a second test in your final term.
| Test | CLB 7 (university graduates) | CLB 5 (college graduates) |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS General Training | Listening 6.0 · Reading 6.0 · Writing 6.0 · Speaking 6.0 | Listening 5.0 · Reading 4.0 · Writing 5.0 · Speaking 5.0 |
| CELPIP General | 7 in each of the four abilities | 5 in each of the four abilities |
| PTE Core | Listening 60–70 · Reading 60–68 · Writing 69–78 · Speaking 68–75 | Listening 39–49 · Reading 42–50 · Writing 51–59 · Speaking 51–58 |
| Test validity | Results must be less than 2 years old when you apply | Same |
| Where to upload | Listed as optional in the online checklist, but mandatory for your programme | Same |
Source: IRCC — PGWP: How to find your language level, and Express Entry language testing page (2-year validity), read 26 Sep 2026. Meet the level in every ability; a 6.5 overall with a 5.5 band does not reach CLB 7.
How to apply for the PGWP from inside Canada: step by step
Most graduates apply online from inside Canada. You may also leave and apply from India, but you then cannot work until the permit is approved. The order below protects your right to work while the application is processed.
Check eligibility before your final term
Confirm your programme and DLI are PGWP-eligible, that you have been full time in every semester, and that your study permit will still be valid when you apply. If it will expire before your final marks, extend it or apply for a visitor record so that you do not lose status.
Book the language test early
Take IELTS General Training, CELPIP General or PTE Core two to three months before graduation. Result times differ by test and by centre, so check the provider's published turnaround before you book. Missing a band by 0.5 means a re-test, so leave time for one.
Collect the completion documents
You need an official letter from the school confirming that you completed the programme and its length, plus a final transcript or degree certificate. Quebec graduates need the programme code in the letter. The 180-day clock starts on the date the school confirms completion, not the convocation date.
Prepare field-of-study proof if it applies
Non-degree graduates who applied for their study permit on or after 1 November 2024 must show their programme's 6-digit CIP code is on the eligible list. The online checklist does not ask for this; upload the proof in the "Client information" section, or the application may be refused.
Apply online and pay CAD 255
Use the "Visitor visa, study and/or work permit" questionnaire in your IRCC account, answer as a PGWP applicant, upload documents and pay both fees: CAD 155 for the work permit and CAD 100 for the open work permit holder fee. Biometrics are usually already on file from your study permit and are valid for 10 years.
Keep working while you wait
If you applied before your study permit expired and were eligible to work off campus, you can work full time while the PGWP is processed. If your permit expired first, you have 90 days to apply for the PGWP and restoration together (CAD 246.25 extra), but you cannot work until the PGWP is approved.
Get a medical exam if you want to work in health or child care
Without a valid immigration medical exam the permit will carry a condition barring work in hospitals, clinics, schools and child-care settings. Complete the exam and apply on paper to remove the condition, or do the exam before applying.
Receive the permit and plan the PR file
The PGWP arrives by mail. Apply for a new Social Insurance Number expiry update, enrol in provincial health coverage as a worker where the province allows, and create your Express Entry profile once you have 12 months of skilled work, or earlier if you qualify under another program.
Who cannot get a PGWP: the exclusions Indian students trip over
- You already held a PGWP after an earlier programme. It is a once-in-a-lifetime permit; a second Canadian credential does not restart it.
- You studied English or French as a second language, general interest courses, or a non-credit programme (flight school excepted).
- More than 50% of your programme was by distance learning, or you studied online from outside Canada after 31 August 2024 (that time is deducted from the permit).
- Your programme was delivered by a private career college under a curriculum licensing agreement with a public college and you started after 15 May 2024 (or after 1 February 2023 for agreements across provinces).
- You studied at a non-Canadian institution located in Canada, or at a DLI or programme that is not PGWP-eligible.
- You received a Global Affairs Canada scholarship that requires you to return home after graduation.
- You took an unauthorised leave, or an authorised leave longer than 150 days, and IRCC finds you did not meet your study permit conditions.
- You applied more than 180 days after completion, or your study permit was not valid at any point in that window.
- You are a non-degree graduate whose study permit application dates from 1 November 2024 or later and whose CIP code is not on the eligible field-of-study list.
From PGWP to permanent residence: Express Entry, categories and provincial nomination
The PGWP is worth most as the bridge to permanent residence. Express Entry ranks candidates with the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Since 25 March 2025 IRCC no longer awards CRS points for a job offer, so the levers left to a graduate are age, language, education and Canadian work experience. A Canadian credential scores in the education factor, and skill-transferability adds up to 50 points for education combined with CLB 9 English or with Canadian work experience, up to a 100-point cap across all transferability combinations. Canadian work experience on the PGWP is also the entry ticket to the Canadian Experience Class, which is built on at least one year of skilled work in Canada; check the current class criteria when you plan.
Category-based draws invite candidates who meet a specific category on top of the general criteria: French-language proficiency, healthcare and social services, STEM, trades, education, transport, physicians, senior managers and researchers with Canadian experience, and skilled military recruits. For the occupation categories you need at least 12 months of full-time experience within the past 3 years in a listed occupation, gained in Canada or abroad, so Indian work experience before the master's counts. Nurses, civil, mechanical and electrical engineers, cybersecurity specialists and pharmacists appear on the lists.
Provincial nominee programmes run graduate streams that bypass the federal draw. These streams change often. Ontario closed its Masters Graduate stream on 30 May 2026 as part of the OINP redesign: the new Ontario Workforce Priority stream is the only one open, and all other OINP streams are closed. Other provinces run their own graduate streams with their own criteria, so check each province's official page before you rely on one; the PGWP years are when you decide which province to build a case in.
The PGWP decision is made when you choose the programme, not when you graduate
Frequently asked questions
How long is the post study work visa in Canada?
Up to 3 years. Master's graduates receive 3 years after any programme of 8 months or more; bachelor's and doctoral graduates and anyone completing a programme of 2 years or longer also get 3 years. Programmes between 8 months and 2 years earn a permit of the same length as the programme, so a 1-year college certificate gives 1 year.
What is the PGWP fee in 2026?
CAD 255 (about ₹17,300): the CAD 155 work permit processing fee plus the CAD 100 open work permit holder fee, both paid when you submit online. If your study permit has already expired you also pay CAD 246.25 to restore your status, and you cannot work until the PGWP is approved.
Is IELTS required for the PGWP in Canada?
A language test is required for every PGWP application since 1 November 2024, except flight-school graduates. IELTS General Training, CELPIP General or PTE Core are accepted; IELTS Academic is not. University graduates need CLB 7, which is IELTS General 6.0 in each band; college graduates need CLB 5, which is 5.0 listening, 4.0 reading, 5.0 writing and 5.0 speaking.
Which fields of study are eligible for the PGWP?
The field-of-study rule applies only to college and non-degree graduates who applied for their study permit on or after 1 November 2024; bachelor's, master's and doctoral graduates are exempt. Eligible programmes are identified by 6-digit CIP codes linked to long-term shortage occupations in agriculture, healthcare, STEM, trades, transport and education, and IRCC has frozen the list for 2026.
Can I work while my PGWP application is being processed?
Yes, full time, provided you submitted the PGWP application before your study permit expired and you were allowed to work off campus while studying. If the study permit expired first, you have 90 days to apply for the PGWP together with restoration of status, but you must stop working until the permit is approved.
What is the deadline to apply for a PGWP after graduation?
180 days from the date your school confirms in writing that you completed the programme, usually the date final marks are released rather than convocation. Your study permit must have been valid at some point during those 180 days. If it will expire before your marks arrive, extend it or apply for a visitor record first.
Can I get a second PGWP after another course in Canada?
No. IRCC issues one PGWP per lifetime, and a second Canadian credential does not create a new entitlement. The only way to lengthen the permit is to complete two eligible programmes of 8 months or more back to back and apply once for a combined permit, up to the 3-year maximum, meeting the higher language requirement of the two.
Does a PGWP lead to PR in Canada?
It gives you the Canadian work experience that Express Entry and provincial programmes reward. IRCC stopped awarding CRS points for job offers on 25 March 2025, so language (CLB 9 unlocks up to 50 skill-transferability points, with a single bachelor's earning fewer than a master's or two credentials), Canadian work experience and category-based draws in STEM, healthcare and trades carry the weight. Provincial streams change often: Ontario closed its Masters Graduate stream on 30 May 2026, so check the current OINP page and your own province's page before you plan around one.
Can my spouse work in Canada while I am on a PGWP?
The spouse rules on this page cover students: during your studies a spouse qualifies for an open work permit only if you are in a master's of 16 months or longer, a doctoral programme or a listed professional degree. Once you hold a PGWP, spousal work permits depend on the job you take and the current rules for family members of workers, so check IRCC's worker-family guidance when you start work.
Official sources used on this page
- IRCC — About the post-graduation work permit (validity rules) — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · checked 26 September 2026
- IRCC — PGWP: Who can apply — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · checked 26 September 2026
- IRCC — PGWP: How to find your language level based on your test results — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · checked 26 September 2026
- IRCC — PGWP: Field of study requirement (2026 list freeze) — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · checked 26 September 2026
- IRCC — PGWP: How to apply (fees, 90-day restoration window) — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · checked 26 September 2026
- IRCC — Fee list — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · checked 26 September 2026
- IRCC — Work off campus as an international student — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · checked 26 September 2026
- IRCC — Express Entry: Comprehensive Ranking System criteria — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · checked 26 September 2026
- IRCC — Express Entry: Category-based selection — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · checked 26 September 2026
- IRCC — Express Entry: Language testing (accepted tests, 2-year validity) — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · checked 26 September 2026
- Ontario — Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (current streams) — Government of Ontario · checked 26 September 2026
- IRCC — Help your spouse or common-law partner work in Canada — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · checked 26 September 2026
- Wise — CAD to INR mid-market rate — Wise · checked 26 September 2026
Official sources
Visa rules change. Always confirm the latest requirements for Canada on the government portals below before you apply.
- IRCC — Study in Canada — official immigration authority for international students
- IRCC — Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) — post-study work rights, duration and eligibility after graduation
Last reviewed: September 2026
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