The Government of Canada announced the changes on Thursday, February 14, along with other modifications to its popular Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program.

The extension doubles the amount of time recent graduates have to apply for a PGWP once their school issues their final marks, from 90 days to 180 days.

Another big change was the removal of the requirement that international graduates have a valid study permit when applying for a PGWP. By effectively removing the valid study permit requirement, students will now have adequate time to obtain the documents they need to apply without the extra stress of an expired permit.

According to David Cohen, senior partner at the Campbell Cohen Canadian immigration law firm in Montreal, doubling the amount of time they have to apply and allowing them to do so beyond the expiration date on their study visa will make a world of a difference for students who want to stay and gain valuable Canadian work experience.

Should you be interested in studying or working in Canada, feel free to contact us.