Recently, Canada announced an extended work permit for international students. This came into effect yesterday, February 15, 2024. As per this, International Master’s students now qualify for 3-year Work Permit. Read on to discover more details on this extended work permit for international Master’s graduates.

 3-year Work Permit for International Master’s Students

International students enrolled in Master’s programs in Canada lasting less than two years now qualify for a 3-year post-graduation work permit (PGWP).

Prior to this, the validity duration of a PGWP depends on the length of the study program of the student. 

However, IRCC has acknowledged the potential of a Master’s student to perform well in Canada’s labor market, therefore granting extended work permits. Per this, it has extended Master’s student’s eligibility for longer work permits.

Notably, the PGWP’s length for international students enrolled in programs other than the Master’s level will be the same as earlier. This means that their PGWP will be of equal duration to their study program. This could be a maximum of three years.

In addition, students enrolled in a study program of at least a two-year duration are eligible for extended, three-year PGWP, provided they are enrolled in a PGWP-eligible DLI in Canada. DLIs or designated learning institutions are the schools that are permitted to admit international students. 

In the upcoming week, the immigration department is going to alter policies for spousal work permits for international students at an undergraduate level. According to this, only spouses of students at the master’s and doctoral level will qualify for a spousal work permit. 

It’s notable that this amendment will not affect the spousal open work permits for Canadian citizens’ or permanent residents’ spouses or conjugal partners. 

Understanding the eligibility requirement for PGWP.

International students to Canada must meet the following eligibility requirements to obtain a PGWP. These include: 

• Students must have completed their studies at an eligible DLI in any vocational, academic, or professional training program of at least eight months.
• They must have completed a study program that has granted them a degree, diploma, or certificate.
• They must have maintained a full-time status as a student in Canada during each academic session of the study program(s) completed. This must be mentioned in the PGWP application, except for some exceptions.
• They must have a transcript and an official letter from an eligible DLI. These will confirm that the PGWP applicant has satisfied the eligibility requirements to complete their study program. Both a transcript and an official letter must be attached to the PGWP application.
• They must be graduated from a public post-secondary institute in Canada, such as the following. Note that these educational institutions must be a DLI.

1. A college, 
2. University;
3. Trade or technical school;
4. CEGEP (in Quebec);
5. Private post-secondary schools (in Quebec) that have the same rules as public schools in Quebec;
6. Private secondary or post-secondary schools in Quebec that provide qualifying programs of 900 hours or more. Also, that provides students issuance of a diplôme d’études professionnelles (DEP) or an attestation de spécialisation professionnelle (ASP); or
7. Private schools in Canada that offer degrees are supported under provincial law. For instance, Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctorate degree. Students must be enrolled in a study program that grants a degree as authorized by the province.

Note: Starting September 2024, students enrolled in a study program under the curriculum licensing framework will not qualify for a PGWP. Under the curriculum licensing framework, a private college is licensed to deliver the curriculum, similar to a public college.