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On September 18, 2024, the Canadian government announced upcoming changes to the Canadian International Student Program, including updates to the Post-Graduation Work Permit program (PGWP) and news on study permit cap levels for the coming years. Then, on October 4, they shared more detailed information about how PGWP eligibility will change. Let’s see the proposed updates, and how they will affect current and future international students. Earlier this year, the Canadian Government introduced a cap on the number of study permits which Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) would process in 2024 for select study programs. The government used student mobility and student outcomes data, as well as consultations with key industry partners like institutions, employers, and provinces, to adapt this process for 2025 and 2026.

Recently few month back the government announced the study permit process for 2025 and 2026 would Have a cap which is reduced from 2024 levels by 10% in 2025, meaning that study permits issued in 2025 will be capped at 437,000. In 2026, the intake cap will be stabilized so the number of study permits issued in 2026 will be the same as was issued in 2025. Be communicated in greater detail to individual provinces and territories in the coming weeks, so that these governments and institutions may plan for next year.

Include master’s and PhD degree students in the capped levels of study. exempt K-12 (primary and secondary) students from being capped. Per the government’s news release, around 12% of allocated study permits will be reserved for students in master’s and doctoral programs. These incoming students will also have to submit a provincial or territorial attestation letter, which is a change from 2024.

Post-Graduation Work Permit Program Changes for 2025; The Post-Graduation Work Permit program, or PGWP, is offered for new international student graduates by the Canadian Government. It allows new grads at eligible designated learning institutions (DLIs) to apply to stay and work in Canada for up to three years in their field, enabling them to build their professional network and career experience.

PGWP length varies depending on the level of study. Here’s how it worked:

• If your program was under 8 months long, you were not eligible for a PGWP.
• If your program was at least 8 months long, but shorter than 2 years, your PGWP will be valid for up to the same amount of time as your study program (a new grad from a 10-month program would receive a PGWP of up to 10 months.)
• Non-master’s degree programs which were two years or longer received a PGWP of up to three years.
• Master’s degree graduates received PGWPs of up to three years, even if their program was under two years long.
• As of November 1, 2024, anyone who applies for PGWP will require a CLB or NCLC score of at least level 7 for university graduates, and level 5 for college graduates. This is the only new PGWP requirement for current students and those who have already submitted their study permit application.

Moving forward, PGWP program eligibility will work differently for students who submitted their study permit application before November 1, 2024, and those who submit their application after that date.

Current Students and Study Permit Applicants

                                    In the announcement, it was emphasized that these changes will address ongoing challenges in the international education sector, while helping to ensure international students who are already in Canada or whose study permit has already been submitted are supported. International students who are currently enrolled in a study program or who have not yet started classes but who submit their study permit application before November 1, 2024 will be required to meet Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) requirements for English or Niveaux de competence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) for French proficiency when they apply for PGWP. Language proficiency test results must be less than two years old when the PGWP application is submitted.

Study Permit Applicants After November 1, 2024 Future international students who submit their Canadian study permit application on or after November 1, 2024, will also have to meet new PGWP requirements which relate to their level of study. Let’s take a closer look at the updated eligibility requirements for different program levels.

Bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctoral degree program: 

• Meet criteria for CLB or NCLC at level 7 or higher in all language areas. 
• No additional field of study requirement.
• Any other university program (e.g. certificates or diplomas): 
• Study program must be in a PGWP-eligible field of study.
• College program, or any other program not listed above:
• When a new grad applies to PGWP, their language proficiency test results must be dated within the last two years.

While there are nearly a thousand different fields of study which are eligible for PGWP, these fields fit into five larger categories: agriculture and agri-food, healthcare, trade, transport, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers. For new graduates in the PGWP program, open work permits will only be issued to the partners of foreign workers in management or professional occupations, or in sectors with recognized labour shortages, like construction or health care.