Canada Announced New Eligibility Criteria for Specific PGWP Candidates

Admin
December 19, 2024

Some foreign students who applied for a PGWP after 1st November 2024 must meet additional fields of study requirements to be eligible for the work permit. The new requirements do not apply to students graduating from a university with bachelor's, master’s, or doctoral degree programs. Students graduating from any other program including degree programs must meet the new eligibility criteria to obtain their PGWP.

What are the New Selection Criteria for PGWP?

IRCC announced a detailed list of 966 instructional programmes grouped into five categories. International students who graduated from a university degree program need not meet this criteria and are eligible for PGWP for up to three years. All other students need to be a part of any one instructional program relevant to specific fields of study to be eligible for a PGWP.

Here are some examples of academic/instructional programs along with their field of study

Field of Study	Instructional/Academic Program
Healthcare	Veterinary Medicine (DVM) Dentistry (DDS, DMD) Dental Clinical Sciences, General (MS, MSc, PhD) Medicine (MD) Podiatry/Podiatric Medicine (DPM)
Agriculture and agri-food	Agriculture, General Agribusiness/agricultural business operations Farm/Farm and Ranch Management Agricultural business technology/technician Animal/livestock husbandry and production
Transport	Air Transportation, Other Truck and bus driver/commercial vehicle operator and instructor Ground transportation, other Railroad and railway transportation Marine transportation, other
Trade	Construction trades, other Plumbing technology/plumber Business machine repair Heavy equipment maintenance technology/technician Glazier
STEM	Management Science Digital Marketing Actuarial science Geography Urban studies/affairs Environmental Health

You can visit here to get the complete list of programmes and their respective field of study.

The programmes listed above are categorized based on the CIP or Classification of Instructional Programs. CIP is how Canada describes and categorizes academic or instructional programs for foreign students. Consider it similar to the NOC system for classifying jobs in Canada.

Tips to Know CIP Code for Your Program

Follow these steps to find the CIP code for your educational/instructional program.

Go to this link of Statistics Canada.
Click on the code beside your academic program.
You will be redirected to the sub-programs that will help you prepare for a career in your relevant field.
Click the code beside your sub-programs.
Now you will find the instructional program classes under the subcategories.
Click the relevant program.
You will find more detailed information about the program. You must read the program description before picking the CIP code to ensure that you choose the right one.

Are There Any Requirements for International Students?

Yes, students must meet the new language requirements to be eligible for PGWP if they apply on or after 1st November 2024. The language criteria vary depending on the student’s study levels in Canada.

For international students graduating with a university bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree

You need CLB 7 in English or NCLC 7 in French in all 4 languages

For international students graduating from any other university program

CLB 7 in English or NCLC 7 in French in all 4 languages

For any other program not mentioned above

CLB 5 in English or NCLC 5 in French in all 4 languages

The new eligibility criteria changes are an attempt by IRCC to align PGWP with the current labour market needs. The government wants to ensure a smooth experience for all international students while stabilizing the Canadian economy. You can make the most of the PGWP options if you stay informed on the changes and new selection criteria. Professional immigration consultants can help you out with the necessary support and guidance.