According to recent updates, Canada has proposed amendments to PGWP eligibility. The Post-Graduation Work Permit is a type of Open Work Permit designed for international students. They must have completed an eligible study program from a DLI. IRCC’s Deputy Minister stated that the Canadian immigration system will look forward to aligning PGWPs with labor market needs. Doing so will enable students to access work permits entering occupations that have a shortage. This will happen along with the decline in students’ access to different programs.
Furthermore, the reports claim that the Minister will provide more suggestions on this issue in the spring of 2024. Meanwhile, the objective will be to implement updates by January 2025.

This news further came to the limelight through an internal survey document issued by IRCC to stakeholders. In addition, the document displayed a few strategies that IRCC will implement to align educational programs with PGWP. The document even had feedback questions from stakeholders.

Canada proposed amendments to the PGWP eligibility – What is the implementation process for new PGWP limitations?

There is no certain information available regarding the implementation of changes within the PGWP, but the internal survey documents do showcase some details.

According to the internal survey document, IRCC and ESDC have formulated job titles for study programs to understand in detail about the educational programs offering international students with expertise and experience. These skills and experiences will eventually help them in contributing to chief sectors of the Canadian economy.

All of the above occurred by merging the National Occupational Classification in Canada with the Classification of Instructional Programs System. NOC system comes to use to categorize and divide professions in Canada. The CIP also operates to complete tasks for educational programs and through the classification of study fields.

The internal document provides the example of a Carpenter’s NOC being associated with three study programs: Construction Trades, Wood Working and Carpentry.

Why is IRCC seeking changes for the PGWP?

IRCC re-stated that its aim in restructuring labor market requirements is to enable students to access work permits. These students will be looking to enter occupations that are in high demand due to a labor shortage. This way, graduates will have less access to other programs.
The PGWP underwent alterations in 2008 to facilitate the issuance of OWPs to international students based on the length of their study program.
IRCC observed that the issuance of work permits under the PGWP rose by 214 percent between 2018 and 2023.

Moreover, IRCC declared some drastic changes to the temporary residence levels, including work or study permits and an eTA in Canada, which might reveal the government’s intentions for the upcoming times. Earlier in January 2024, IRCC even announced the limitation on international students. Surprisingly, the department further declared the execution of TR levels within the Immigration Levels Plan. This type of initiative marked the first time in the history of Canadian immigration.
This measure not only focused on recruiting permanent residents and Canadian citizens for jobs but also reduced the pressure on Canada’s social systems. These include the healthcare and housing sectors, which have been under significant stress. Hence, there has been a decline in the number of new temporary residents coming to Canada every year.

Canadian immigration

International graduates in Canada can become eligible for permanent residence programs by possessing work experience under the PGWP. For instance, most federal and provincial PR programs mainly require a minimum of one year of experience for graduates to qualify to apply. For instance, international graduates are typically great for programs that usually demand at least a year of relevant work experience.