Canada

Study permit to Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). Study in Canada, then an open work permit for up to three years to earn the Canadian experience that Express Entry rewards; since 2024 the study permits are capped and the PGWP needs a language test and, for college programs, a field of study on IRCC’s list.

Free, with the law behind every answer

Study permit to Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)

After graduation, an open work permit for any employer, as long as the program was, up to 3 years for programs of two years or more.

Who qualifies

A study permit at a Designated Learning Institution. Since January 2024 most applicants at bachelor’s level and below need a Provincial or Territorial Attestation Letter from a capped provincial allocation; since 1 January 2026 master’s and doctoral applicants at public institutions are exempt from the cap and the letter.
IRCC, Study permit and the international student cap
For the PGWP, a language test taken within two years (CELPIP, IELTS or PTE Core; TEF or TCF for French) for every application filed on or after 1 November 2024: CLB 7 for university graduates, CLB 5 for college graduates, in all four skills.
IRCC, Post-graduation work permit: who can apply
College diploma and vocational graduates whose study permit was applied for on or after 1 November 2024 must have studied a field on IRCC’s PGWP-eligible list; bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral graduates are exempt. Study permits applied for before 1 November 2024 are grandfathered out of both the field-of-study and language rules.
IRCC, Post-graduation work permit: who can apply

You keep your U.S. citizenship.

It could fit.

Study permit to Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) needs admission to a qualifying course; the course and your passport then decide it.

What would settle itYour admission and the course’s eligibility under the destination’s rules.

Every option that fits your family

Not legal advice.

What it takes.

Time: Study permit 2–5 months depending on the provincial allocation; the PGWP is usually decided within weeks of graduating if filed online from inside Canada; then 2–4 years of study and 1–3 years of work before permanent residence.
Cost: Government fees are small (study permit C$150, PGWP C$255, biometrics, a language test, about $500 all told); tuition is the real cost, commonly C$20,000–40,000 a year (about $14,000–29,000) for international students, plus C$20,635 a year in proof of funds.
The hard part: The net tightened twice: a capped, province-allocated study permit to get in, then a language test and, for college programs, a field-of-study match to get the PGWP out. Many college programs that used to lead straight to a PGWP no longer qualify, and any age is fine but the years and tuition add up.

Citizens by 2032.

If your first permit is issued in 2027 and you keep living there, this is the road.

2027
First residence permit
3 years, not renewable.
2028
Permanent residence
There is no time-based switch to permanent residence: you apply through an economic program. The usual one for people already in Canada, the Canadian Experience Class, needs at least 1 year (1,560 hours) of skilled Canadian work in the last 3 years and language tests; self-employed work and work while studying full-time do not count.
2031
Apply for citizenship
With a language test and a civics test.
2032
Citizenship

Language: English or French at Canadian Language Benchmark 4, ages 18–54.
Civics: The citizenship test, ages 18–54: rights and responsibilities of citizens, Canada’s history, geography, government and symbols.
Time away: At least 1,095 days physically in Canada in the 5 years before applying. Each day there as a temporary resident before permanent residence counts as half a day, up to 365 days. Tax returns filed for 3 of those years. Keeping permanent residence itself needs 730 days in Canada in every 5 years.
Two passports: Yes. You keep your U.S. citizenship.

The work permit lasts up to 3 years and cannot be extended; days in Canada before permanent residence count at half (365 days at most) toward citizenship, and permanent residence needs a year of skilled work first.
How long the decision takes isn’t published; we allow a year.

The law behind these dates

Living there.

Time you must spend there: None on the study permit or PGWP; permanent residence needs 730 days in Canada in every rolling five-year period.
Tax: Living in Canada on a study or work permit makes you a Canadian tax resident on worldwide income once you have residential ties or spend 183 days in a year.

We never file a tax return. We tell you what applies and brief the professional who does.

Start today.

Check your intended program against IRCC’s current PGWP field-of-study list before applying for the study permit, and get the provincial attestation letter if your level needs one.Open canada.ca ↗
Gather these documents.
- The degree or admission letter, and proof of funds
- Request your FBI Identity History Summary
- Health cover for the move

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