International students hoping to remain in Canada on a Post-Graduation Work Permit now have 180 days (six months) to apply once they obtain their final marks and notice of graduation and are no longer required to have a valid study permit.
The changes were announced by the Government of Canada on Thursday, February 14 along with other modifications to Canada’s popular Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program.
The extension doubles the amount of time, from 90 days to 180 days, recent graduates have to apply for a PGWP once their schools issue their notice of graduation.
Another corresponding change was the removal of the requirement that international graduates have a valid study permit when applying for a PGWP.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) now indicates a study permit must only have been valid “at some...