Post-Graduation Work Permit

A PGWP is a practical way to advance your career goals and gain Canadian work experience after completing your studies at UBC. For students who are interested in applying for Canadian permanent residency (PR), it provides an opportunity to gain one year of skilled work experience in Canada, which might be helpful for certain PR programs.

You can only apply for the PGWP once in your lifetime. If you are unsure if you will stay or return to Canada after your studies, consider applying for the PGWP in case your plans change, since you will lose the opportunity to apply 180 days after your letter of completion first becomes available. You do not need to live in Canada or hold a job at all times to keep the work permit valid.

Additional situations

You’re still eligible for the PGWP in any of the following situations:

• You studied part-time in your final academic term only, which UBC defines as full-time study.
• You took an authorized leave or had a gap in studies which is considered actively pursuing studies for less than 150 days.
• You were eligible for the temporary PGWP policies in place until August 31, 2024, which allowed courses moved online due to COVID-19 to count towards the length of your PGWP. See the following FAQs for details on eligibility:
  • Students who begin a program between September 2022 and August 2024
  • Students who were enrolled in a PGWP eligible program in March 2020 or began a program between March 2020 and August 2022

Find full eligibility details on the Government of Canada website.

If you are not eligible for the PGWP, learn about your options after completing your studies at UBC.

If you will start another program

PGWPs are issued only once in a lifetime. If you have plans to continue studying in Canada, you may wish to apply after you have completed your second program to make full use of your work permit. If each program is eligible for the PGWP, you can apply based on the length of both programs, so long as you complete the second program within 2 years after completing your first program.

If you extend your study permit before it becomes invalid, you may be eligible to maintain status between programs as well as work off-campus full-time between programs for up to 150 days. 

If you are waiting for a letter of acceptance for your next program, be sure to apply for a new status in Canada before your study permit expires. If you need assistance with your timeline and options, contact International Student Advising for support.

If your study permit expires soon

Your study permit must be valid long enough to complete all program requirements, if you are in Canada. If you plan to stay in Canada and work following your program completion, your study permit must also be valid for a period after finishing your program requirements to allow time to receive your Letter of Completion and apply for the PGWP before your study permit expires.

If your study permit expires before your Letter of Completion will become available, or within the 90 days after your Letter of Completion first becomes available but you won’t have enough time to apply for your PGWP before your study permit expires, apply to extend your study permit for an additional 90-day bridging period. Apply well in advance, ideally about 4 to 5 months before your study permit expires, depending on estimated processing times. Include a letter of explanation stating you are extending your study permit to apply for the PGWP.

You can only apply after your Letter of Completion is available, which confirms that you have completed all program requirements. Your study permit validity and time frame to apply for the PGWP are based on when your Letter of Completion first becomes available, not your degree conferral or graduation ceremony.

Getting your Letter of Completion

You can typically expect your Letter of Completion soon after you’ve received your last final grade or submitted your thesis. For example, if your last final exam is in April, you might expect your Letter of Completion at the end of April or the beginning of May. 

The date your Letter of Completion first becomes available is different from the date of your degree conferral and graduation ceremony, which are not important for immigration purposes.

The date the Letter of Completion first becomes available to you is important because it impacts the following:

Your ability to work

You must stop working immediately based on your study permit, because you are no longer considered a full-time student.

• You cannot use a co-op work permit to work either, even if you have a valid one.
• Check below for details on working before or after you apply for the PGWP.

Your status in Canada

You must take action before your study permit expires or within 90 days of your Letter of Completion first becoming available—whichever comes first—and do one of the following:

• Apply for the PGWP, then you can remain in Canada while your application is being processed and work if you meet the requirements
• Apply for a Visitor Record to stay as a visitor
• Apply to extend your study permit if you will continue studies, or
• Leave Canada

If you can’t get your Letter of Completion and apply for the PGWP before your study permit expires, extend your study permit well in advance.

Your timeline to apply for the PGWP

You must apply before the deadline:

• If you're inside Canada: within 90 days of your Letter of Completion first becoming available and before your study permit expires (whichever comes first)
• If you're outside Canada: within 180 days of your letter of completion first becoming available and within 180 days of your study permit expiring (whichever comes first)

How and when you get your Letter of Completion

Different faculties and programs have different processes. To get your Letter of Completion, you might need to:

• Apply for graduation (or your program might do this automatically).
• Submit a request for your Letter of Completion (or it might be issued automatically).
  • A delayed request does not impact when the letter would have first become available (usually, soon after finishing your last program requirement).
• Check for your Letter of Completion in Workday (or it might be emailed to you).
  • Learn how to get your Letter of Completion, known as a “Program Completion Letter” in Workday.
  • You will not receive a notification when your letter is available in Workday. 
  • After you have finished your last program requirement, such as submitting your thesis or completing your last exam, check Workday every day. The Letter of Completion must state that you “have completed” your program. Save a copy of the letter the first time you see it.
  • It is especially important to check every day if you are working during this time period since you would need to stop working.

If you don’t know how to get your Letter of Completion or when you could expect it, contact your faculty’s Academic Advising office or your graduate program staff. 

Transcripts

You do not need to wait for a “final” transcript showing your degree has been conferred. Your transcript must include your final grades for your PGWP application. A PDF transcript is acceptable, and can be ordered through Enrolment Services.

Within 180 days after your Letter of Completion becomes available

Your study permit automatically becomes invalid 90 days after your Letter of Completion first becomes available, even if the expiry date on your study permit is several months later. 

If you are in Canada and do not apply for the PGWP within 90 days of your Letter of Completion becoming available with a valid study permit, or you have not received a letter of acceptance for a new academic program to continue studies, you must take action by completing one of the following before the 90-day period is over or before your study permit expires (whichever comes first), otherwise you will be out of status: 

• Change your status to a visitor and apply for the PGWP from inside Canada through the visa office which serves your country of citizenship.
• Leave Canada and apply for the PGWP from outside of Canada.

Your study permit must have been valid within the 180-day period before you apply for the PGWP. If your study permit expired before your Letter of Completion first became available, your timeline to apply for the PGWP will be earlier - you must apply within 180 days of your study permit expiring, rather than within 180 days of your Letter of Completion becoming available.

If you apply for the PGWP more than 90 days after your letter of completion becomes available or after your study permit expires (whichever comes first), contact International Student Advising for assistance.

If you haven’t submitted an immigration application, or you did not leave Canada before your study permit became invalid, contact International Student Advising for support on restoring your status.

Working after you’ve applied for the PGWP

After submitting your PGWP application online, you may immediately begin working full-time while your application is being processed if all of the following are true at the time you submit your application:

• You have a valid study permit and apply within the first 90 days after your Letter of Completion first became available.
• You have completed your program of study.
• You were eligible to work off campus without a work permit during your studies. Check that your study permit has a condition allowing off-campus work, such as “may accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria, per paragraph R186(f), (v) or (w) and must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria“.
• You did not work off campus for more than 20 hours per week during academic sessions, except if you were eligible to work more hours during the temporary policies.

If you plan to apply for the PGWP while you are on maintained status for your study permit extension, contact International Student Advising for support. 

To avoid a gap in work eligibility between receiving your Letter of Completion and applying for the PGWP, prepare your PGWP application in advance and extend your study permit well in advance, if needed, so that you can apply as soon as your Letter of Completion becomes available. You can maintain eligibility to work if you apply the same day your Letter of Completion becomes available, or before you resume working.

If you plan to work in a job which requires a medical exam, you cannot start working in that position until you’ve received your work permit with the correct conditions. However, if you meet the above criteria, you can work in other jobs which don’t require a medical exam while you are waiting for your PGWP. There is a temporary policy until Oct 5, 2029, allowing you to use a previous medical exam from the past 5 years, so long as you have not lived in a designated country for more than 6 months since then. 

How to show your employer you are eligible to work

After you apply for the PGWP online, you should automatically receive two PDFs from IRCC in your online account. One letter confirms when IRCC received your application. The other is an interim proof of work letter, which has an expiry date based on IRCC’s service standard processing time. If your application takes longer, your eligibility to work is not based on this letter—if you met the requirements to work at the time of application, you can work until a decision is made. It is possible to send IRCC a webform request for an updated letter if it expires soon.

You can show your employer this IRCC page and IRCC’s instructions for officers.

Review the infographic (pdf) for what happens when you finish UBC.

There are different applications and processes to apply for the PGWP from inside or outside Canada. You must be physically in Canada to submit an in Canada application, even if you apply online. 

If you travel before or after applying for the PGWP, you’ll need to make sure you have a valid TRV or eTA to travel to Canada. 

You can do one of the following:

• Apply for the PGWP online inside Canada within the required timeframe and stay while your application is being processed.
• Apply for the PGWP online inside Canada within the required timeframe, then leave Canada before it’s been processed.
• Travel, then return and apply for the PGWP online inside Canada within the required timeframe.
• Leave Canada and apply through the outside Canada process online.

If you meet the requirements above, you can work full-time after submitting your PGWP application online.

Before submitting your application

Complete the Canvas application review course to go over the required documents, learn how to fill out the form, avoid common mistakes, and be ready to submit your application.

If you will travel after you apply for the PGWP inside Canada

You may use the Canadian mailing address of a trusted friend in your application. It must be a friend who does not live in UBC student housing since mail may be returned. Once your work permit is received, ask a friend to send you a digital copy and mail the original to you so you can have it for your return to Canada. If you apply while inside Canada, note that your work permit start date will typically be the same day it is approved and will be mailed to the Canadian address that you included on your application form.  

If you’ve met the above requirements to work after applying, you can work while waiting for your PGWP after returning, even if your study permit has expired. Review scenarios when you return to Canada. 

If your TRV expires before you plan to return, you can apply for a TRV online from outside of Canada with a digital copy of your work permit once your PGWP is approved. Review our step-by-step TRV tutorial, then review the TRV from outside of Canada guide since your application will be slightly different. Be sure to upload any additional documents required by your visa office in the ‘Client Information’ section—select your country under the "apply on paper" section then see the visa office instructions PDF. Note that processing times for a TRV outside of Canada may be very long and could delay your return to Canada.

If you apply for a PGWP inside Canada, your PGWP is mailed to the address you included on your application form. If your contact information changes after submitting your application, be sure to update it via IRCC’s webform.

If your study permit expires after you apply and you are on maintained status, you must take action on your health insurance.

Find everything you need to know about life as an international student at UBC's Vancouver campus.

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