If you are a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) holder whose work permit expires between September 20, 2021, and December 31, 2022, you may be eligible for an additional open work permit of up to 18 months.
Introducing this additional open work permit is part of a particular policy by the Government of Canada.
Overview
Canada has announced that Post-Graduation Work Permit holders whose work permit has expired or will expire between September 20, 2021, and December 31, 2022, may qualify for an additional new open work permit.
This special policy is expected to allow tens of thousands of international graduate students to receive an additional 18-month open work permit (OWP), allowing them to extend their stay in Canada and supporting businesses in finding the workers they need.
Canada is introducing this special measure to support the country's economic recovery and post-pandemic growth. Hundreds of thousands of unfilled jobs across the country, with labour shortages in many fields and sectors. Canada recognizes and is committed to supporting the important contributions that international graduates make to the country's communities and economy.
Who is eligible for this OWP?
International students whose Post-Graduation Work Permit expired from September 20, 2021, to December 31, 2022, are now eligible to extend their work permits and remain in Canada for an additional 18 months. Those presently in Canada will be able to work while their permit is being extended or a new one is being issued.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has outlined the following scenarios for those potentially eligible for this temporary public policy:
1) My post-graduation work permit expires from October 2, 2022, to December 31, 2022; my address is up to date, and my passport is valid through April 2024.
Your work permit will be sent to you by mid-October. No action is needed on your part. You do not need to respond to the email from IRCC confirming your mailing address.
2) My PGWP expires after October 2-December 31, 2022, and you need to update your address or passport.
IRCC will send an email to eligible candidates confirming their mailing address by mid-October. Follow the instructions in the email to inform IRCC that your address needs to be updated.
If you need to update your address or passport information, you will receive email instructions from IRCC in September on updating your mailing address and passport validity. Once you receive this email, you have two weeks to update your information online, and you will get your updated work permit by November.
You may need to extend your passport validity if it expires before April 2, 2024. If you have applied for a PGWP using a paper application, make sure it is linked to your online account
3) My PGWP expires from October 2, 2022, to December 31, 2022, but IRCC didn’t contact me.
If IRCC does not contact you by mid-September, you are not eligible for a work permit extension through this special process. This could be because other information about your admissibility to Canada has been added to your file that requires review. You may still apply online to extend your work permit.
4) My PGWP expires from October 2, 2022, to December 31, 2022, but I won’t be able to update my address or passport validity
You will need to apply online to extend your work permit. You could receive a work permit extended to your passport expiration date, or you could wait to apply until you have renewed your passport
5) My PGWP expired or will expire from September 20, 2021, to October 1, 2022
You will need to apply online for a work permit. Applications open on August 2, 2022. If you are in Canada and your temporary status has expired, you must apply to restore your status simultaneously. Under these special measures, you can restore your status, even if it expired more than 90 days ago.
Need help applying or reviewing documentation? Contact our team right now!
