Last Updated On 15 May 2024, 10:41 AM EDT (Toronto Time)
The new PGWP eligibility criteria officially came into effect today, May 15, for international students graduating from public-private partnerships (PPPs) colleges in Canada.
The IRCC first announced on January 22, 2024 that international graduates of college programs offered through a public-private curriculum licensing partnership would no longer be eligible for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) as of September 1, 2024.
However, IRCC moved the effective date for these new PGWP rules to May 15 instead of September 1, 2024.
Reports indicate that the IRCC decided to move the effective date because some of these educational institutions advanced their fall admission to June or August to avoid the new PGWP rules announced in January 2024.
This suggests that foreign students will not be eligible for post-graduation work permits if they participate in public-private curriculum licensing partnership programs effective May 15, 2024.
In this article, we list the full PGWP eligibility criteria as per the new rules that are now in effect.
PGWP Ineligibility for International Students in Curriculum licensing agreements (public-private partnerships)
International students are ineligible for post-graduation work permits (PGWPs) if they have finished a course or study program at a DLI under a curriculum licensing agreement (sometimes called a P3 or public-private partnership).
Students might qualify for a PGWP if, prior to May 15, 2024, they were enrolled in a program of study at a private college that was administered on behalf of a public institution in the same province.
However, they won’t qualify for a PGWP if they start one of these programs at public-private partnership educational institutions on or after May 15, 2024.
Furthermore, international students won’t qualify for PGWP if they started the study program on or before January 31, 2023, at a public-private partnership educational institution that is offering instruction on behalf of a public college from a different province.
Also, new international students cannot apply for a PGWP if they started one of these programs after February 1, 2023.
General PGWP Eligibility Criteria
International students can apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) after graduating from a PGWP-eligible designated learning institution (DLI) in Canada.
They must have maintained full-time student status during each semester of their study program.
Students also need to have a study permit that has been valid for the last 180 days.
As per the IRCC official website, a student must also be in one of the below situations to meet the official PGWP eligibility criteria.
| Type of institution | Required length of program | Program outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Public post-secondary DLI, such asa college,a trade/technical institution, ora university | 8 months or longer | Your program must lead to one of the following:a degree (associate degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate)a diploma or a certificate |
| Quebec public secondary DLI offers vocational training programs | 900 hours or longer | Your program must lead to one of the following:a diploma of vocational studies (DVS)an attestation of vocational specialization (AVS) |
| Quebec collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP) | 900 hours or longer | Your program must lead to one of the following:an attestation of college studies (ACS)a diploma of college studies (DCS) |
| Quebec provincially subsidized private post-secondary DLIorQuebec provincially subsidized private secondary DLI offering provincially subsidized vocational training programs | 900 hours or longer | Your program must lead to one of the following:an attestation of college studies (ACS)a diploma of college studies (DCS)You must be enrolled in one of the provincially subsidized study programs. This may not include all study programs offered at the DLI. |
| Canadian private-designated learning institution authorized by the province to confer degrees. | n/a | Your DLI must be authorized by the province to confer degrees, including an associate degree a bachelor’s degree a master’s degree or a doctorate You must be enrolled in one of the study programs leading to a degree, as authorized by the province. This may not include all study programs offered by the private DLI. |
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