Yes, you can stay in Canada after graduation so long as you maintain valid status. After graduating from a post-secondary institution in Canada you may wish to remain and work in Canada. You can do so by obtaining a post-graduation Work Permit. These Work Permits are issued through the Post Graduate Work Permit Program (PGWP) to foreign post-secondary students who wish to remain in Canada temporarily after their graduation to work in their field of study.
A Work Permit issued through the PGWP program is only valid for the length of study program, up to maximum three years. This Work Permit cannot be valid longer than student’s study program.
Further, in order to obtain Work Permit under PGWP program, the program of study has to be at least 8 months long.
For instance, if a student graduated from a four-year degree program, he or she can obtain an Work Permit for three years maximum.
If a student graduated from an eight month program, he or she will only an eight month Work Permit.
If you want to stay in Canada as a Permanent Resident after graduation, then there are many options available to you. You should contact us for more details and we would be happy to discuss these options with you.
Before you apply for a Post Graduate Work Permit, you need to know whether you are eligible for Work Permit or not. You have to meet requirements and those are:
- You have to studied full-time in Canada and your study program minimum 8 months long;
- You have graduated from an eligible post-secondary institution;
- You must apply within 90 days after you have received confirmation that you have met the requirements of completing your academic program
- You have completed and passed your program and received written official notice that you are now eligible to obtain your degree, diploma or certificate
- You have to have valid study permit when you are applying for your Work Permit
You are not eligible for post-secondary Work Permit if:
- If your study is less than six months
- Participate in Canadian Commonwealth scholarship program funded by department of foreign affair trade and development Canada
- If you participate in Government Canada award program
- If you receiving funds from Canadian international development agency
- If you participate equal opportunity scholarship- Canada-Chile
- If you participate distance learning program either from abroad or in Canada
- If you have previous post-Graduation Work Permit from any other study program
Those are basic requirements what make you eligible or not to qualify for a Post-Graduation Work Permit. If you have further question or want more details about it, give us call and we can certainly assist you. With Akrami & Associates, there is always a way!