Earlier in the year, the IRCC announced future plans to help PGWP holders retain legal status in Canada who may have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many temporary residents rely on the Post-Graduate Work Permit to help them stay in Canada after graduating but with immigration slowing down over the past two years, this has made it difficult.
Those who have graduated from a Canadian-recognized learning institution and are seeking a PGWP are the most common CEC applicants. This is an open work permit that allows graduates to work in Canada for one year before applying for Canada PR. These candidates now have the option to extend their PGWP status or apply for an open work permit!
What is a Post-Graduate Work Permit?
The popular PGWP has been a go-to immigration status for many graduates who came from abroad to study in Canada and now want to stay longer. This work permit is essentially the gateway to permanent residency for international students in Canada and many count on it to make their migration dreams come true! As you may already know, the Post-Graduate Work Permit is a one-and-done status, and extending your status is not possible…until now!
PGWP Holders Can Now Extend Status or Apply for Open Work Permit
This policy change will be affecting those whose PGWP status has or will expire between September 20, 2021, and December 31, 2022. This change was announced to be coming in April 2022 but was delayed due to technical issues. Now we have the instructions on how to apply for an open work permit or extend your status as a PGWP holder!
Related Article: Changes to Post Graduate Work Permit
Here is what you should do according to the following scenarios and your specific situation:
PGWP Expires from October 2, 2022, to December 31, 2022
(Address is up to date and passport is valid until April 2024)
If your address and passport validity is up to date then it’s easy, no need to do anything! If you fall under this category, you should receive an e-mail message from IRCC to confirm your mailing address and an updated work permit will be issued by mid-October!
PGWP Expires from October 2, 2022, to December 31, 2022
(Need to update your address and/or passport validity)
As mentioned above, you will be receiving an email from the IRCC to confirm your mailing address and you will be instructed to update your address if needed! If your passport validity doesn’t allow IRCC to extend your work permit by 18 months, you will not get this e-mail. You will instead receive a separate e-mail in September. This will include instructions on updating your address or passport validity giving you a two-week window to do so. After updating this information, you should receive an updated work permit in the mail by mid-November.
PGWP Expires from October 2, 2022, to December 31, 2022
(Unable to update your address or passport validity)
If you are unable to update your address or passport validity, will need to apply online to extend your work permit. You could receive a work permit extended to your passport expiration date, or you could wait to apply until you have renewed your passport.
PGWP Expires from October 2, 2022, to December 31, 2022
(IRCC didn’t contact you)
If you do not receive a message from IRCC by mid-September, you are not eligible to have your work permit extended through this special process for other reasons. This could be because you now fall under an inadmissibility category. The IRCC still fallows you to apply for an extension, maybe its worth a shot!
PGWP from September 20, 2021, to October 1, 2022
If you are in Canada and your temporary status has expired, you must apply to restore your status at the same time. With these new measures, you are allowed to restore your status, even if it expired more than 90 days ago. You are eligible to apply from abroad if you have left Canada and return after you have been approved!
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