Key Changes and Timeline
Students who applied for or held a study permit before 1 November 2024 will remain eligible for a PGWP under the existing rules. However, students applying for a study permit on or after this date will be subject to the new guidelines. A critical component of these changes is the introduction of a “field of study” requirement for graduates from colleges and non-degree programs.IRCC confirmed that university graduates will remain eligible for PGWPs of up to three years, without any restrictions based on their field of study. For college graduates, however, only certain programs will qualify under the new rules.
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New Field of Study Requirement for College Graduates
From 1 November 2024, graduates of college programs must have completed studies in an “eligible field of study” to qualify for a PGWP. IRCC has listed 966 programs that are considered eligible, covering five broad areas:
Fields traditionally popular with international students, such as tourism, hospitality, and business studies, are notably absent from the list. This exclusion is expected to impact a significant number of international students seeking work opportunities in Canada.
Impact on Students and Educational Institutions
The decision to limit PGWP eligibility has sparked concerns among educational institutions, particularly those that rely on international students in fields now deemed ineligible. Karen Dancy, director of recruitment and international at Olds College, commented on LinkedIn, “Notably absent on the list is hospitality. This will be catastrophic for local communities, including rural and remote areas, that rely on our college-educated international learners.”
According to ICEF Monitor, Marketa Evans, president and CEO of Colleges Ontario, expressed similar concerns in an open letter to IRCC Minister Marc Miller on 27 September. “We are very concerned about the lack of consultation with provinces and the use of national labour market information to inform what local employers need,” she wrote, urging the government to work collaboratively with provinces to ensure regional labor needs are considered.
Language Requirements for PGWP Applications
In addition to the field of study requirements, international students applying for a PGWP must also meet specific language requirements. All applicants will need to prove their proficiency in English or French through approved language tests.
For university graduates, the language requirement is set at Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) 7 in English or its French equivalent, Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) 7. College graduates, however, must meet a lower threshold of CLB 5 or NCLC 5 in all four language areas (reading, writing, listening, and speaking).
Scale of the Impact
The new rules are expected to significantly reduce the number of international students eligible for post-study work permits. According to a report from The Toronto Star, over 105,000 PGWPs were issued in the first half of 2024, with 64% of them granted to graduates of college programs. Business studies graduates alone accounted for 42% of the permits, while STEM fields made up 37%. Under the new rules, a substantial portion of these graduates—especially those in business and other non-eligible fields—will no longer qualify for a PGWP.
The new PGWP eligibility rules represent a major shift in Canada’s approach to post-graduation work permits for international students. While aimed at addressing long-term labor shortages in key sectors, the changes could have far-reaching consequences for international students and educational institutions across the country.
The exclusion of popular fields like business and hospitality has drawn criticism from stakeholders who argue that the policy may fail to address local labor needs and diminish Canada’s appeal as a destination for international education.
