IRCC Announces Work Permit Extension for PGWP Holders

March 17th’s Announcement

Today, Canada’s Immigration Minister, Sean Fraser, announced a new initiative for those with an expired or expiring Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP), who will now be able to apply for an Open Work Permit (OWP) extension as of April 6, 2023. 

The extension will be available to anyone whose PGWP expired in 2022 and who applied for the IRCC’s Open Work Permit extension last year. It will also be available to those whose PGWP is set to expire in 2023.

Those whose legal status in Canada has expired will also be able to apply to restore their status, even if they are outside of the 90-day grace period provided by IRCC. This will allow those individuals the ability to restore their status and get an interim Open Work Permit authorization at the same time, as early as April 6.

This extension will allow PGWP holders to stay longer in Canada, gain more work experience, and continue to contribute to the Canadian economy. The application process will be facilitated through the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website, and candidates who apply will receive an interim work permit authorization, allowing them to continue working legally in Canada.

The IRCC states that it will send messages to eligible candidates to invite them to log into their online IRCC secure account beginning on April 6th.

The PGWP Program allows international graduates to obtain an open work permit to gain valuable Canadian work experience, making them an important asset to Canada’s economy. These measures will allow Canada to retain high-skilled talent and help address the current labour shortage faced by employers during the economic recovery and growth period.

How a PGWP Can Help You Immigrate to Canada

Canada’s Post Graduation Work Program is designed to provide an efficient path for international students in Canada to gain permanent residence status in the country. By bridging Canadian education into meaningful full-time work experience in the country, a candidate is in a great position to apply under the Canadian Express Entry immigration system. Having a Canadian educational credential and work experience ensures that an Express Entry applicant will gain valuable extra points towards their comprehensive ranking system (CRS) score, making them more competitive amongst other applicants for gaining permanent resident status!

Provincial nominee programs (PNPs), or if you studied in Quebec, the Quebec Experience Class program, are also immigration categories that favour candidates with a Canadian educational credential and work experience. 

Interested in learning more about your options to immigrate to Canada? Complete our free online assessment form for a full evaluation of your options!