Canada’s Immigration Minister made a significant announcement on March 17, 2023, to extend the work permits of PGWP holders by 18 months.
Post Graduate Work Permit is a significant avenue for students to gain valuable work experience in Canada after completing their study program. Canadian work experience is crucial to becoming eligible for permanent residence.
Tens of thousands of students leverage Post Graduate Work Permits to transition to permanent residence. A record number of students became permanent residents in 2021 and 2022. In 2021, the number of students gaining PR status was 157,000, while 95,000 students became permanent residents in 2022.
Immense relief to PGWP holders
Typically, PGWP is not a renewable work permit. The new announcement is a notable relief to students with expired or near-expiry work permits. The 18-month extension of the work permit will enable PGWP holders to become eligible for permanent residence by gaining additional work experience in Canada. It will also help Canadian employers meet the challenges of labor shortages.
The PGWP extension facility will come into force on April 6, and allow students to restore their status. It will also apply to students who are beyond 90 days restoration period. They will get interim work authorization until they receive a new work permit. The eligible students should apply for the extension on the IRCC website to receive an email about the interim work permit authorization.The PGWP extension is available for students having pen work permits expiring this year.
The facility will also be helpful if a student applied for an extension after their open work permit expired in 2022. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will communicate with eligible students asking them to leverage the open work permit extension facility by logging into their Secure Account beginning April 6, 2023.
