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International students who graduate from a university in Canada are given open work permits known as Post Graduate Work Permits (PGWPs). With PGWPs, international students can work for any employer for any desired number of hours in Canada. The validity of PGWPs ranges from eight months to three years. This period allows students to gain valuable Canadian experience, which is highly beneficial to them, as it opens up a plethora of opportunities and the possibility of getting a permanent Canadian residency.
The Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) is usually granted once to international students upon completing their studies at a Canadian educational institution, with no possibility of renewal. Despite this, Canada has implemented a temporary policy in response to the COVID pandemic, granting international students with postgraduate working permits an 18-month extension. The policy was brought back in 2022 and 2023. Most international students wonder if they can extend their work permit if it expires. There are some situations in which you can extend it. In this article, we'll learn more about the PGWP Extension in Canada for 2024.
Canadian graduates have a 180-day window to apply for a PGWP. Make sure your study permit remains valid during this 180-day period to prevent your PGWP application from being rejected. During the application process, you will need to verify the programme’s name and duration and provide evidence of your attendance and completion. You can accomplish this by submitting:
Additionally, you must fulfill the general PGWP requirements, which include:
Canada’s Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Sean Fraser made an announcement on August 2, 2022, regarding an extension of 18 months for open work permits. This extension applies to individuals who held a PGWP between September 20, 2021, and December 31, 2022. Later, he made another announcement on March 17, 2023, regarding an 18-month extension for open work permits. This extension specifically applies to those who held a PGWP from September 20, 2021, to December 31, 2023. The lack of permanent residency or work permit extensions left many former international students in Canada eagerly anticipating a similar announcement in 2024. Sadly, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller stated on December 7, 2023, that the extension of previous PGWP holders through temporary public policies will not continue in 2024.
If your post-graduation work permit was shortened because of an expiring passport, you can still extend it. Work permits beyond the expiration date of your passport are not issued by the IRCC. If your passport is set to expire before your PGWP, make sure to check if you can renew it beforehand.
Since you’ve already met the requirements for the initial post-graduation work permit, the PGWP extension requirements are straightforward, as follows:
The process of applying for a PGWP from inside Canada is easy if you meet specific conditions and follow essential steps. The first step is to check if your study permit is still valid. In most cases, study permits grant a 90-day extension past the programme’s completion date, providing a 180-day time frame to apply for a PGWP. On the other hand, if the study permit’s expiration date is earlier, you will lose your study permit.
If your study permit is still valid, you have the option to apply from within Canada. If you submit your work permit application while your study permit is still valid, you may be permitted to work without a separate permit until a decision is reached. It’s important to note that you cannot leave Canada or risk losing your work permit. If your study permit expires prior to your PGWP application, you might not meet the requirements and may be unable to apply within Canada. To apply for your PGWP while maintaining visitor status, you will need to do so outside of Canada.
The PGWP is essential for obtaining permanent residence in Canada, and students are concerned that their permits may expire after December 2023. For these reasons, the immigration community, which includes organisations like CIA Immigration, keeps a close eye on any changes to the policy. There is still debate on extending the PGWP until 2024 since many people want fairness and inclusivity when it comes to immigration to Canada. When their PGWPs are about to expire in early 2024, international students should be proactive in looking into other options for staying in Canada.
To learn more, contact Edroots, one of the leading study in Canada consultants in Dubai.
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