Apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP)

For international students who finished an eligible program at a PGWP-eligible designated learning institution and want an open work permit after graduating. You apply online within 180 days of confirmation that you completed your program, usually with language results and sometimes field-of-study proof. If you apply from inside Canada while your study permit is still valid, you can generally keep working while IRCC decides.

Who it is for: Graduates of eligible Canadian post-secondary programs.

14 steps in order, a checklist of 13 documents, what to write in each form field and the mistakes IRCC warns about, each linked to the official page it comes from. Last checked against IRCC’s pages on November 3, 2026. General information, not legal advice.

The complete walkthrough is also published as a page that opens without JavaScript.

Start with a free Canadian citizenship practice test or practice test 2: twenty questions each, answers explained, no account needed.

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Explore our preparation guides, including CLB 9 in CELPIP and your CRS score and NCLC 7 in TEF Canada and your CRS score. Guides open without an account or JavaScript.

Study for the citizenship test with notes on every Discover Canada chapter, or read the Express Entry draw history: every recorded round, category and CRS cut-off.

Applying? Follow a step-by-step walkthrough of your IRCC application, from Express Entry and work or study permits to citizenship, with every point linked to the official page.