The Government of Canada has announced a significant relaxation of its Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) rules for international students, eliminating the field of study requirement. This requirement, introduced in 2024, applied to graduates of Canadian colleges but not universities. The decision to remove it is part of an effort to apply greater scrutiny to the international education sector.
The Canadian Bureau for International Education has confirmed that graduates of college degree programmes will no longer need to meet the PGWP field of study criteria. However, students must still demonstrate proficiency in either English or French, achieving a minimum level of Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) 7 in English or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 7 in French across all four language areas.
The revised policy will also apply to international students who submitted their study permit applications after 1 November 2024, for a bachelor’s or master’s degree programme at a Canadian college.
This change is expected to enhance opportunities for international students, ensuring a more inclusive and streamlined post-study work experience in Canada.
