Canada Update - Latest Changes to Eligible Occupations for Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)

Highlights from IRCC
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has recently announced a series of changes to the criteria for applying for a Post-Graduation Work Permit, as well as an updated list of eligible occupations. Accordingly, international students need to be aware of the new requirements to be able to transition from studying to working in Canada.

Eligibility criteria remain unchanged

To be eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), international students must continue to meet the general eligibility and geographic location requirements (even after November 1, 2024) and complete their studies at a designated PGWP-eligible educational institution.
If an international student applies for a PGWP before November 1, 2024 => Only need to meet the current eligibility criteria.
If international students apply for a PGWP as flight school graduates eligible for a PGWP => Only need to meet current eligibility criteria (even after 1 November 2024)

New eligibility requirements
1. If you applied for a study permit before 1 November 2024

If you applied for a study permit before 1 November 2024 and are applying for a PGWP on or after 1 November 2024, you must also meet the new requirements that apply to your situation.
If you graduated with a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree from a university: Language requirement: You must demonstrate your English or French proficiency at a minimum of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 for English or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) 7 for French in all four language skills.
If you graduated from any other university program: Language requirement: You must demonstrate your English or French proficiency at a minimum of (CLB) 7 for English or (NCLC) 7 for French in all four language skills.
If you graduated from a college program or any other program not listed above: Language requirement: You must demonstrate your English or French proficiency at a minimum of (CLB) 5 for English or (NCLC) 5 for French in all four language skills.

2. If you apply for a study permit on or after 1 November 2024

If you apply for a study permit on or after 1 November 2024, you must also meet the new requirements that apply to your situation to be eligible to apply for a PGWP.
If you are graduating from a bachelor's, master's or doctoral program at a university: Language requirements: You must demonstrate proficiency in English or French at a minimum of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 for English or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) 7 for French in all four language skills. Field of study requirements: All fields of study are eligible. There are no additional field of study requirements.
If you graduated from any other university program: Language Requirement: You must demonstrate English or French proficiency at a minimum of CLB 7 for English or NCLC 7 for French in all four language skills. Field of Study Requirement: You must have graduated from an eligible field of study.
If you graduated from a college program or any other program not listed above. Language Requirement: You must demonstrate English or French proficiency at a minimum of CLB 5 for English or NCLC 5 for French in all four language skills. Field of Study Requirement: You must have graduated from an eligible field of study.

3. Language Requirement
You must provide evidence of your language ability to meet the language requirement for the PGWP when you apply.
To measure your English or French proficiency, we use:

Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) for English
Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) for French

Proof of language ability
You must demonstrate your skills in each of the following areas: Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking
Your test results must be less than 2 years old when you apply. We accept language test results from the following tests:

English: CELPIP, IELTS and PTE
French: TEF and TCF

4. Field of study requirements
If your program of study has a field of study requirement, you must have graduated from a program related to certain occupations that are in long-term shortage. The fields of study are divided into the following 5 broad areas: