PGWP Guide 2026: eligibility, gaps, refusals and PR
A Post-Graduation Work Permit lets you work in Canada for up to 3 years after you graduate. You only get one. To qualify in 2026, your program must be PGWP-eligible and at least 8 months long, you must have studied full-time and mostly in person, and you must pass a language test and apply within 180 days. College graduates may also need an eligible field of study.
One missed rule means a refusal, and a refusal can cost you your chance at Canadian work experience. Check your case before you apply.
Check my PGWP eligibilityWritten by NextMovePath editorial teamLast updated:
Start with the rule that worries you
Each guide answers one question in plain language, with the IRCC source for every rule.
- PGWP eligibility rulesThe full list of PGWP rules: DLI, program length, language, field of study and permit length.Read the guide
- Full-time status, gaps and breaksScheduled breaks, gaps between programs, part-time final semester, leaves and combining programs.Read the guide
- PGWP field-of-study requirementWho needs an eligible CIP code, who is exempt, and how to prove it.Read the guide
- PGWP language requirementCLB 7 or CLB 5, which tests count, and what happens if one score is too low.Read the guide
- Study permit expiring? Status and restorationWorking while you wait, visitor status, the 90-day restoration period and the 180-day window.Read the guide
- From PGWP to permanent residenceCanadian Experience Class, provincial graduate streams, and timing before your PGWP ends.Read the guide
What are the PGWP rules in 2026?
You must meet every rule below on the day IRCC receives your application. Missing one is enough for a refusal.
- An eligible school and program. Your DLI must be PGWP-eligible on the IRCC DLI list. Programs a private college delivers for a public college are usually not eligible.
- At least 8 months long (900 hours in Quebec), leading to a degree, diploma or certificate.
- Full-time in every semester. Your final semester can be part-time. See gaps, breaks and leaves.
- Mostly in class in Canada. More than 50% online makes you ineligible.
- A language test. CLB 7 for degrees and university programs, CLB 5 for college programs. See the language requirement.
- An eligible field of study if your program is not a degree and you applied for your study permit on or after November 1, 2024. See the field-of-study rule.
- Apply within 180 days of confirmation that you completed your program, while your study permit was valid at some point in those 180 days. See expired permits and status.
- No previous PGWP. You only get one.
The full detail, including permit length, is in our PGWP eligibility guide. Once you have the permit, plan your next step with the PGWP to PR guide.
What changed, and when?
Most of today’s PGWP rules came in during 2024 and 2025. Which rules apply to you often depends on when you applied for your study permit or when you apply for the PGWP.
Feb 15, 2024
Master’s degree graduates can get a 3-year PGWP even if the program was under 2 years (minimum 8 months).
May 15, 2024
Public-private partnership programs in the same province stop being PGWP-eligible for new students.
Jun 21, 2024
PGWP applications can no longer be made at the border (no more flagpoling for a PGWP).
Sep 1, 2024
For programs started (or study permits applied for) from this date, at least 50% must be in class in Canada, and study from outside Canada is taken off the permit length.
Nov 1, 2024
Language test required for all PGWP applications. Field-of-study rule for non-degree programs with study permits applied for from this date.
Mar 11, 2025
Degrees from non-university schools need CLB 7, the same as university degrees.
2026
IRCC freezes the eligible field-of-study list: no fields added or removed this year.
Not sure which rules apply to you?
The checker asks about 10 questions and shows every rule you meet, every rule at risk, and the IRCC page behind each one.
Check my PGWP eligibilityPGWP basics: common questions
- A Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) is an open work permit for international students who graduate from an eligible program at a PGWP-eligible designated learning institution (DLI) in Canada. It lets you work for almost any employer in Canada for up to 3 years.
- You need a program of at least 8 months at a PGWP-eligible DLI, full-time study in every semester (the last one can be part-time), mostly in-person study in Canada, an approved language test (CLB 7 for degrees and university programs, CLB 5 for college programs), an eligible field of study for non-degree programs if you applied for your study permit on or after November 1, 2024, and an application within 180 days of completing your program.
- No. IRCC issues only one PGWP per person. If you plan to take two programs, you may be able to combine their lengths into one longer PGWP instead.
- For programs of 8 months to under 2 years, up to the length of the program. For programs of 2 years or more, up to 3 years. Master’s degree graduates can get up to 3 years if the program was at least 8 months. The permit cannot go past your passport expiry date.
- Only if your PGWP was issued for less time than you were eligible for because your passport was about to expire. In that case you renew your passport and apply on paper to extend.
Sources
We checked every rule on this page against these Government of Canada pages on September 27, 2026.
- IRCC: PGWP, who can apply (page dated June 24, 2026)
- IRCC: About the PGWP (length of the permit) (page dated March 9, 2026)
- IRCC: PGWP field of study requirement (page dated March 9, 2026)
- IRCC: Find your language level for the PGWP (page dated May 27, 2026)
- IRCC: How to apply for a PGWP (page dated August 28, 2026)
- IRCC program delivery instructions: PGWP (page dated December 11, 2025)
- IRCC: Designated learning institutions list
This page is general information, not legal advice. IRCC can change PGWP rules at any time, and an officer decides each application on its own facts. Check canada.ca or speak with a licensed immigration consultant (RCIC) or lawyer before you act.