Canada has announced significant changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) qualifying requirements for international students. The Canadian government has amended the list of subjects of study that international students can pursue in non-degree programmes.
With effect from June 25, 178 disciplines of study were removed from the eligibility list, while 119 new fields of study became eligible for PGWP.
In 2024, a new criterion was added as part of the International Student Program revisions, Financial Express reports.
To be eligible for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP), international students enrolled in non-degree programmes (programmes other than bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degrees) must complete a programme in an eligible field of study linked to jobs in long-term shortages, such as those prioritised under Express Entry.
Depending on your study programme, you may need to complete an area of study requirement to be eligible for a post-graduate work permit (PGWP). This rule applies to students who apply for a study permit on or after November 1, 2024.
The list of qualifying fields of study was modified to reflect the 2025 Express Entry priorities from June 25, with the following changes made:
119 new fields of study in critical sectors such as healthcare and social services, education, and trades have been added.
178 fields of study that were no longer related to occupations with long-term labour shortages were eliminated.
As a result of these revisions, 920 topics of study are now eligible for the PGWP.
Students who filed for a study permit before June 25, 2025, will still be eligible for a PGWP if their field of study was listed at the time of application, even if it has subsequently been withdrawn.
When submitting your study permit or PGWP application, you must have graduated from a programme on the list of currently qualifying Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes.
If your CIP code is not on the list of currently acceptable codes when you apply for a PGWP, it may still be eligible, depending on the date you submitted your study permit application.
However, you do not have to meet the field of study criterion if one of the following applies to you:
You filed your PGWP application by November 1, 2024, regardless of the level of study.
You graduated from a PGWP-eligible flight school.
You earned a bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degree.
You applied for a study permit by November 1, 2024.
