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Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) is a program which helps graduates to gain Canadian experience after graduating from Canadian post-secondary institution. The PGWP is an Open Work Permit that allows the holder to work for any employer in Canada up to a maximum of three years, depending on the applicant’s length of study of program. If you have plans to gain experience in Canada and you did your graduation from a Canadian post-secondary institution, you can apply for PGWP. The program gives you the opportunity to gain Canadian work experience in which you may potentially qualify for permanent residence through the Express Entry Route. If you have graduated and wondering if qualify for Post Graduate Work Permit then continue reading this article.
To be able to work after graduation and apply for the post graduate work permit you have to meet certain requirements to apply under this category:
· Be 18 years of age or older at the time of application
· Have graduated from a full time program in Canada that was at least eight months or more
· Have graduated from post-secondary or private institution in Canada. If you have graduated from private institution you have to ensure the institution operates under the same rules and regulations as public institutions
· Have applied for the work permit within 180 days of receiving your final marks from your school
· Have passed the program of study and received confirmation that you are eligible to receive your diploma, degree or certificate
· Have valid study permit when applying for the work permit
· Provide a letter from your institution that outlines the duration study and program code
If you are international student and recently graduated from your program of study in Canada and have attained Canadian work experience you may qualify to apply for permanent residence through Express Entry Route. To be eligible through the Express Entry route you have to meet the minimum requirements under one of the immigration programs managed through Express Entry. For example, once you graduated and obtained your Post Graduate Work Permit successfully and gained Canadian work experience you can apply under Canadian Experience Class. So when you apply under Express Entry you get points for education received in Canada, you get points for work experience gained in Canada etc. Remember not all study programs qualify for PR options to Canada. To ensure you have the highest chance of success contact our office at 416-477-2545 for further details.
You can either apply online for your Post Graduate Work Permit or submit a paper application and simply mail it. Remember to apply within 180 days of receiving your written confirmation from the institution you graduated from. When applying for the Post-Graduation Work Permit you must pay the Open Work Permit Holder fee and standard Work Permit fee. These fees can only be paid in Canadian funds and must be paid online.
Typically, the processing time of the online application is 99 days. However, you don’t necessarily need to wait for that long to start working in Canada. You are able to work full-time until the IRCC makes the final decision f you meet the following requirements.
· Your study permit was valid when you submitted your application
· You completed your study program
· You were eligible to work off-campus without a work permit while studying and you did not work more hours than you were allowed to
If you do not meet any of the above-mentioned, you must wait for a final decision for your post-graduate work permit application to legally work in Canada. Keep in mind that it is illegal to work in Canada without a permit.
If you have already started working but the IRCC later on refuses your work permit, you must stop working upon receiving that notification.
If you are from a country that needs a visitor visa, and your visa is expiring
If you need a visitor visa to enter Canada, you will need to make a new, separate TRV application.
If you are from a visa-exempt country
Since you are from a visa- exempt country, you will need an eTA instead. If you need an eTA to enter Canada by plane, the IRCC will issue you one upon approval of your PGWP application.
Please not, having a valid PGWP does not mean that you will be let back into Canada. As such, you need to be aware of your visa’s expiry date and see if you need to apply for one.
If you have graduated as an international student and like to work in Canada but not sure what steps to take then contact Akrami & Associates at 416-477-2545. Akrami & Associates has assisted many students in obtaining their Post Graduate Work Permit and we can help you too. Remember, don’t wait too long as you have 90 days to file for this type of work permit. The 90 days starts once you receive your confirmation letter from school. We have a lot student that miss the 90 day deadline, don’t let this happen to you as it is a great opportunity to gain Canadian work experience which will help with applying for permanent residence in the future.
With Akrami & Associates there is always a way!!
