Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)

Students who are inside Canada should ensure that their temporary resident status in Canada doesn’t expire before they submit their PGWP application to IRCC. Students whose study permit will become invalid or expire while they wait for their Program Completion Letter and Official Transcripts to be issued (required for the PGWP application) can choose one of the options listed below:

1. apply for a Study Permit extension to request an additional 90-day period after their final term of study (we recommend that you apply to extend your Study Permit at least 4 - 5 months prior to the expiry date)
2. apply for a visitor record to stay in Canada (while you wait for your final marks and/or program completion letter to be issued)
3. leave Canada and apply for PGWP from outside

Note: If your study permit is going to expire before the end of your final term, you must proceed with Option 1 above (i.e. apply to extend your study permit before the expiry date listed on your permit).

If you are inside Canada and your Study Permit permit expires, you must apply to restore your status as a student to apply for your PGWP (additional fees must be paid). Please consult with an International Student Specialist if you find yourself in this situation.

Students are also eligible to apply for the PGWP outside of Canada whether or not their study permit is valid, as long as this is done within 180 days from receiving formal notification of completion and their study permit was valid at some point in the 180 days preceding their application submission. The application must contain proof that you completed your program of study in the form of an official transcript and a letter from the University confirming your program completion.

The 180-day period usually starts on the issue date of your Program Completion letter from the University.

Visit the IRCC website for more information.

• Select: “Continue to GC Key” or “Continue to Sign-In Partner” (if you already have an account)
• If you don’t have an account, select Register and then choose either GC Key or Sign in Partner option
• Select: “Sign Up” (for GC Key only); follow the instructions. If you sign up for a GC Key, save the Username, Password, Account Recovery Questions, and Security Questions as you will require these later on to access your account.
• Select: “I accept” after reading the terms and conditions.

At the bottom of the page under “Start an Application”; click “Apply to Come to Canada”

If you did not answer the assessment questions previously, you do not have a Personal Reference Code, scroll down.

Scroll down and click on “Apply for Visitor Visa, Study and/or Work Permit” and answer all assessment questions.

• Select “Work” to answer “What would you like to do in Canada?”
• If you are asked “Have you lived in a designated country or territory for more than six months in the last year?” select “NO” if you have not been outside Canada for 6 months in the past year
• When you are asked “Are you giving someone access to your application?” Select “No” as you will be applying on your own
• You will also be asked “In the past 10 years, have you given your fingerprints and photo (biometrics) for an application to come to Canada?”, if you have never provided your biometrics for an IRCC application in the past 10 years, select “No”

• UCI number: “Unique client Identifier”, also known as “Client ID”. It is an 8- 10 digit number that appears on the top left of your Study Permit.
• Check “A work permit with a new employer”
• Document Number: This number is usually printed in bold black ink at the top of your study permit starting with an “F” followed by 9 numbers.
• Details of intended work in Canada: Choose “post-graduation work permit” on question 1 a), and leave everything else blank.
• Employment section: Under “Current Activity/occupation”, type “recent graduate” from the date you got your official completion letter. Under “company/employer/facility name” type “University of Alberta”
• Background Information:
  2(c): Have you previously applied to enter or remain in Canada? Click YES, as you have entered Canada on your Study Permit. Include the dates for each document you applied for in the past in the available box (e.g., first study permit: Aug. 2021, extended study permit Dec. 2023).
  
• Signature box: You can type your name in the box or leave it blank. Do not print out and sign by hand!

• Letter of Completion (or other documentation to prove completion of degree
  • Undergraduate students request the letter from your faculty once all their final grades are posted on Bear tracks
  • Graduate students request the letter through the Student Service Catalog.
• Official Transcript (request it when you request the completion letter). If you have any gaps in your studies and/or have one or more terms where you were registered part-time, speak to an international student advisor. A letter of explanation will need to be added to your application.
• Passport-style Digital Photo
• Copy of Passport (the page that shows your birth date and country of origin and all pages that contain a stamp or Visa)
• Letter of Explanation if needed (uploaded in Client Information): To explain to the IRCC what you are requesting or to provide additional information/details you want to be considered in your application

• You can only pay the $255 Post Graduation Work Permit fees online with a credit or debit card
• If you have never provided biometrics to IRCC in the past 10 years, you will be required to pay an additional $85 as a biometrics fee. You can expect to get a full refund for this amount as long as the biometrics waiver remains in place.

On December 7, 2023, the temporary policy open in a new tab that allows online studies completed outside Canada to count towards Post-Graduation Work Permit length will continue to be in place past December 31, 2023, as long as online studies constitute less than 50% of the program and the program starts before September 1, 2024. Learn more about other requirements that must be met open in a new tab).

To learn more, read "Work in Canada after you graduate open in a new tab" IRCC pages: " Who Can Apply open in a new tab " and " About Post-Graduation Work Permit open in a new tab."

• Working in Canada After Graduation open in a new tab - Presentation Slides
• Job Search and Canadian Hiring Process open in a new tab - Presentation Slides