Starting November 1, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will begin rolling out changes to the post-graduation work permit (PGWP) programme, reported The Indian Express.

Detailed information on the recently announced changes to the PGWP programme is now available on the IRCC website (www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship.html) which includes details about new language requirements and other new field-of-study requirements.

Under the new requirements,

1) Applicants must now submit proof of language proficiency to satisfy the language criteria for the PGWP at the time of application.

2) Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) will be accepted as evidence for English, while Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) will be used for French.

3) The updated rules also specify that if a candidate’s study programme has a field of study requirement, they must graduate from a programme associated with specific occupations experiencing long-term shortages. These fields of study are categorised into five areas: Agriculture and agri-food, healthcare, science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), trade, and transport.

Here are a few other unchanged rules:

1) To qualify for a PGWP, you must still meet the general and physical location eligibility criteria (even after November 1, 2024) and complete a study programme at an eligible designated learning institution.

2) If you submit your application for a PGWP before November 1, 2024, you only need to fulfil the existing eligibility criteria.

3) If you apply for a PGWP as a graduate of a PGWP-eligible flight school, you only need to meet the current eligibility criteria (even after November 1, 2024).

4) Candidates will need to show proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The test results must be no more than two years old at the time of application submission.

5) IRCC will accept language test results from the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), and the Pearson Test of English (PTE) Core for English. TEF Canada: Test d’évaluation de français and TCF Canada: Test de connaissance du français will be accepted for French.