Post-graduation work permit

International students looking to gain Canadian work experience after completing a certificate or diploma program at NorQuest College, may benefit from the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) Program.

A PGWP changes your status from a student to a worker, and you can remain in Canada for the duration of your work permit. You do not need a job offer to apply for a PGWP, and you do not have to work in a specific field or province.

2024 changes to the Post Graduation Work Permit Program

November 1 marks a significant change to Canada’s Post Graduation Work Permit program. New eligibility criteria will require certification in specific fields of study and updated language proficiency requirements.

NorQuest College is committed to supporting our students through this transition, and we have compiled a list of our current programs that align with revised PGWP eligibility criteria published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

NorQuest is also developing new programs that will align with the published Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes. Once these programs receive approval, they will be added to our list of PGWP eligible programs.

The following list of eligible programs is provisional and may be updated as new programs are added, while Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) establishes their process for verifying the CIP codes.

This list is accurate as of Friday, November, 8, 2024 and may be revised to include more programs, so check back regularly.

Field of Study Category	NorQuest College Program	CIP 2021 Code	CIP 2021 title
Health Care	Mental Health Recovery Practitioner Post Diploma	51.1508	Mental health counselling/counsellor
Health Care	Addiction recovery Practitioner Post Diploma	51.1501	Substance abuse/addiction counselling
Health Care	Health Care Aide Certificate	51.2601	Health aide
Health Care	Practical Nursing Diploma	51.3901	Licensed practical/vocational nurse training (LPN, LVN, RPN, Cert., Dipl., AAS)
Health Care	Practical nursing diploma for international educated Nurses	51.3901	Licensed practical/vocational nurse training (LPN, LVN, RPN, Cert., Dipl., AAS)
Health Care	Therapeutic Recreation Diploma	51.0899	Allied health and medical assisting services, other
Health Care	Interdisciplinary Therapy Diploma	51.0817	Rehabilitation assistant
Health Care	Pharmacy technician Diploma	51.0805	Pharmacy technician/assistant
Health Care	Settlement Studies Diploma	44.0000	Human services, general
STEM	Machine Learning Analyst Diploma	11.0102	Artificial intelligence
STEM	Arts and Science Diploma- New Media, Communications, and Technology Specialization	09.0702	Digital communication and media/multimedia
STEM	Sustainability Coordinator Diploma - Reporting & Disclosure Specialization	30.3301	Sustainability studies

Important considerations:

• We emphasize that while these programs align with revised PGWP eligibility criteria, IRCC has not finalized the process for verifying CIP codes for Canadian post-secondary programs.

• The final eligibility of these programs will depend on the IRCC’s verification process for the associated CIP codes.

• If you pay a deposit for a program that starts in Spring 2025, Fall 2025 or the winter 2026 terms which ultimately becomes ineligible for the PGWP after final confirmation from IRCC, we will refund your tuition deposit in full if you no longer wish to proceed with your program.

• We encourage you to keep checking back, as this information will evolve over time.

Frequently asked questions

1. I am a current student at NorQuest and have already applied for my PGWP. Does this change affect me?

   Answer: If you submitted your PGWP application prior to November 1, 2024, and if you were eligible under the old rules, then you will remain in consideration for your PGWP under the old guidelines and not the new.

2. I am a prospective student, how do these changes in PGWP impact me?

   To better understand the new guidelines, refer to this chart:

   Timeline of the applications	Language Ability Requirement	Field of Study Requirement
   PGWP application submitted before November 1, 2024	Not Applicable	Not Applicable
   PGWP application made after November 1, 2024, with the initial study permit application submitted before November 1, 2024	✓	Not Applicable
   PGWP application after November 1, 2024, with the initial study permit application submitted after November 1, 2024	✓	✓

3. I have already received a Post Graduation Work Permit, but my field of study is not eligible under the new rules. Does this change impact me?

   Answer: If you have already received your PGWP, you are not impacted by these new rules.

4. I paid a deposit on a program that is now not eligible for a PGWP. How do I get a refund?

   Answer: If your program starts in Spring 2025, Fall 2025 and Winter 2026, and you no longer wish to proceed with your program because it is not PGWP eligible, NorQuest will work with you to refund your deposit. Reach out to our team at enrolment@norquest.ca.

Eligibility

Basic PGWP eligibility includes:

• completion of an academic program (certificate, diploma or degree) at eligible designated learning institution (DLI) in Canada that was eight months or longer.
• uninterrupted full-time enrollment in each mandatory academic term. This does not include scheduled breaks and the final term, which can be part-time.
• on-campus program delivery mode. The number of your in-person courses must be more than 50% each term.

Language proficiency requirement 

As of November 1, 2024, all PGWP applicants must meet a minimum level of either English or French language proficiency in all four language areas: reading, writing, listening and speaking. 

To measure English level, IRCC will use the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) and college graduates require a minimum level of CLB 5 in all four language areas. Test result must be less than 2 years old at the time of the PGWP application. Acceptable language test results are: 

1. CELPIP General test 
2. IELTS General Training 
3. Pearson Test of English (PTE) Core option

You are not eligible for the PGWP program if:

• you are applying based on the completion of a program that is less than eight months long.
• you took an unauthorized break in your studies or your authorized leave was longer than 150 days.
• you studied part-time during a mandatory term.
• your program included more than 50% of online delivery (Note: there were temporary exemptions to this rule during the pandemic).
• your off-campus work was unauthorized (e.g. you were not authorized to work, or you worked more hours than the permitted amount).
• 180 days have elapsed since the academic program's completion.
• you participated in one of the Canadian Governmental Scholarship Programs.
• you have been issued a PGWP before, following another program of study.

Review this IRCC webpage for the full list of eligibility criteria.

Length of the PGWP

PGWP is issued only once in a lifetime and its validity is estimated based on the official length of your program of study in Canada. For example, if you graduated from an eight-month program, then you are eligible for an eight-month work permit.

If the official length of your program of study is:

1. less than two years but more than eight months:
   • you may get a work permit for the same period as the length of your program of study
2. two years or more:
   • you may get a work permit for three years

The maximum possible length of a PGWP is three years.

When your work permit is about to expire, refer to the IRCC website to check if there are any temporary measures in place that allow for an additional extension of your PGWP.

Graduation Steps and Applying for your PGWP

1. Apply to graduate through your MyQuest account before the graduation application deadline.
2. After your final grades are posted, the Office of the Registrar will assess whether you have met the program requirements to receive your credential. If you meet the graduation requirements, you will receive a completion letter in your MyMail.
3. Once you are issued a completion letter, you are no longer a student and you must stop working.
4. Download a copy of your final transcript from your MyQuest account, on the day you have received the completion letter. You can use this unofficial transcript to apply for a PGWP.
5. Collect all necessary documents and apply for a PGWP. You do not need the credential (i.e. diploma or certificate) or official transcript issued by the Office of the Registrar to apply for a PGWP. Issuance of the official credentials and transcripts will take additional time and it is not recommended to postpone the application because of these documents.
6. Once you have submitted a PGWP application, you may start working full-time if your study permit was valid on the day of submitting the PGWP application. If your study permit expires after you submit a PGWP application, you may continue working full-time until you receive a decision from the IRCC.
7. Avoid travelling outside of Canada while you are waiting for your work permit.

Important: If you are on maintained status at the time you apply for your PGWP, meaning that your study permit has expired and you have not yet received the renewed one, you will need to submit a PGWP application as if you are outside Canada and change your status in Canada to visitor. You will be able to stay in Canada, but you will not be authorized to work while waiting for the PGWP and will need to leave and re-enter Canada to receive the actual work permit once it is approved. Further details about working after applying for a PGWP can be found here.

General supporting documents:

The PGWP processing fee is $255 CAD.

How to apply

• Log into your IRCC account and click "Apply to come to Canada" under "Start an Application".
• You will be asked if you have a personal checklist code (reference code). If you don’t have one, click "Visitor visa, study and/or work permit" under "Determine your eligibility and apply online", which is found at the bottom of the page.
• Otherwise, you can complete the eligibility questionnaire from the IRCC website, get a personal checklist code, and then enter it into your IRCC account.
• Upon completing this questionnaire, on the "Your results" page, select "Post-Graduation Work Permit".
• After uploading all the needed documents, submit and send the application.

Note: If you are applying while on maintained status, even though you’re physically in Canada, you must follow the instructions for applying for a work permit from outside Canada.

• In the IRCC online tools, choose your country of citizenship when you’re asked for your current country or territory of residence. This is to make sure you get the correct application forms.
• When you fill out the PDF forms, your answers must be accurate, since they’re now part of your application. If you’re in Canada, use your Canadian address.

You must receive both an instant confirmation that your application was submitted, and an email that your application is being submitted (which is received overnight). Take a picture of the confirmation you receive and save it as proof.