International students who have graduated from their university program in Canada can obtain a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) which allows them to work in the country.
The permit is valid for up to three years, depending on the length of the applicant’s academic program, and cannot be renewed except for specific extensions.
Recently, the Canadian government expanded the PGWP program to help international students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The extension was an open work permit valid for 18 months and granted three times, most recently on April 6. The extension was available to PGWP holders whose permit would expire on or before December 31, 2023.
In 2022, 98,000 PTPD holders became permanent residents. Nearly 82% of all temporary residents became permanent residents that year. Additionally, when the 2022 data was released, IRCC estimated that in 2023 there would be 268,000 PTPD holders in Canada and that 127,000 permits would expire.
It is important to note that PTPD holders whose license expired on or before December 31 were still eligible for the extension.
The most fantastic thing about the temporary PGWP extension policy is that it works for almost everyone with an expired or expired PGWP. All you gotta do is apply online and wait for IRCC approval. Since this is a temporary policy, you can expect approval within 2-3 months. You can request an extension of your postgraduate work permit if:
- Your PGWP is expired/expiring in 2024
- You no longer have status and have exceeded the 90 day deadline to restore your temporary resident status. Additionally, you can request reinstatement of your status at the same time as you request an extension.
- You are outside of Canada. Applicants who have left Canada because their PGWP has expired can also apply for a PGWP extension (18-month open work permit) and return after approval.
If your postgraduate work permit is about to expire in 2024, but your address and passport validity are up to date, you don’t need to do anything. Just wait for the official mail from IRCC (do not reply to this mail) for the approval of the PGWP extension open work permit. You can receive this email from IRCC any time between now and mid-October.
Our team has helped hundreds of PTPD applicants obtain an open work permit for themselves and their spouses as well. You can contact our experts here. Elaar immigration is led by an experienced immigration consultant, Keshav Sharma (JACK). We will help you carefully apply for postgraduate work permit extension and increase the benefit to 18 months of open work permit.