Post-Graduation Work Permit
A post-graduation work permit (PGWP) is an open work permit that allows international graduates to live and work in Canada for a designated period up to three years. It has no geographic or field of employment restrictions.
Upon graduation from a SAIT designated learning program that was a minimum of eight months in length, international students may be eligible to apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP). This work permit is an open work permit allowing graduates to work for any employer.
An application must be submitted within 90 days of completing your program and you must have a valid study permit when you apply. You will also need to submit proof of your graduation with the application. You can request a letter from the International Centre to confirm this.
Visit the IRCC website for further information about a post-graduation work permit.
Eligibility
You can apply for a PGWP if you have completed a degree, diploma or certificate program at a DLI (such as SAIT) that is a minimum of eight months in length. The length of your PGWP is dependent on the duration of your completed program.
| Program length | PGWP eligibility |
|---|---|
| Shorter than eight months | Not eligible |
| Eight months to less than two years | Eligible for a work permit for the same duration as your program. |
| Two or more years | Eligible for a three-year work permit |
You also need to meet the following criteria:
- maintained full-time status as a student in Canada during each semester of your program (except your scheduled break and final semester, which can be part-time, or if you took an authorized leave from studies)
- have a valid study permit (or a study permit that was valid at some point in the last 180 days since you completed your program)*
Important: Your PGWP validity date can never extend past the date of your passport validity. Make sure your passport is valid for the entire length of time you should be eligible.
As a student, it is your responsibility to understand and meet the full eligibility requirements.
*As many students attended their program online from outside of Canada due to Covid, eligible students can apply for a PGWP from outside Canada as long as they’ve been approved for a study permit. For more information on outside-Canada graduates, please see the IRCC eligibility.
When can I apply?
You must apply within 180 days of SAIT issuing your final marks and it’s recommended for you to apply for your PGWP as soon as you receive your Letter of Completion from SAIT while your study permit is still valid.
Your study permit will be valid until the expiry date it’s noted or 90 days after you receive your letter of completion, whichever comes earlier. If you apply for your PGWP while on a valid study permit, you might be eligible to start to work immediately. However, if you plan to apply after your study permit expires, you need to either:
- change your status to a visitor before your study permit expires
Or, if your study permit expires, you need to:
- leave the country and apply from outside of Canada, or
- apply for restoration and your PGWP at the same time.
Please note that you can only receive a PGWP once in your life. If you intend to continue your studies, you might want to wait to apply for your work permit.
How do I apply?
The application can be submitted online and costs $255.
The application form that you will be completing is the “Application to Change Conditions, Extend my Stay or Remain in Canada as a Worker (IMM5710)”.
As PGWP application made from outside of Canada has different requirements. If you will apply for your PGWP from outside of Canada, contact the International Centre.
Frequently asked questions
It depends. Refer to the IRCC Help Centre for more information before you travel.
No. Once you receive your PGWP you can then apply for a new TRV.
- Before you receive written notice of program completion: If you were eligible to work part-time (up to 20 hours per week) during your final semester, you can continue working part-time until you receive notice of program completion (letter from SAIT)
- Once you receive the notice of completion: you must STOP working until you submit the PGWP application
- After you submit the PGWP application you can start working full-time if you:
- Were eligible to work part-time during your academic semester and didn’t work off-campus more than 20 hours during academic semesters
- Have a valid study permit at the time of applying for your PGWP a
- If your PGWP is refused, you must stop working immediately.
You can now order your unofficial transcript simply through your MySAIT account. Please check the Quick Reference Guide on easy steps to follow.
You MUST have a valid temporary status as a student or a visitor in order to apply for a PGWP. If your study permit expires around your program completion time, you should consider to apply for your study permit extension early so that you still hold a valid status to bridge your graduation period. If you have not applied to extend it before it expires, you must stop studying and working and apply for a restoration of status.