PGWP Changes for International Students

As of June 25, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) updated the current list of eligible fields of study for students applying for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) to better reflect Canada’s shifting labour market demands.

If you’re an international student in a non-degree program, you can only get a PGWP if the program you graduate from is listed in a special list of eligible fields of study when you apply for your PGWP. The list of currently eligible Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes has been updated and is listed on the IRCC website.

What does this mean?

If you’re in a non-degree program and want to work in Canada after graduation, your program must be in one of the current eligible fields that IRCC is looking to fill certain job vacancies for

Who Does this Change Affect?

This new rule only applies to the students who applied on or after June 25, 2025, therefore if you find yourself in this category, you must make sure your non-degree program is on the new eligible fields of study list if you want to qualify for a PGWP.

Students who applied for a study permit before June 25, 2025, do not have to worry as they are exempt from this rule and can still qualify for a PGWP if their field of study was recently removed from the list but was originally on the eligible list when they first applied.

What’s a Non-Degree Program?

Non-degree programs are programs that result in a diploma, certificate, or a similar qualification. It is a program that does not result in bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees.

What Has Changed?

The list of fields that qualify for the PGWP has been updated to focus on the jobs Canada needs most. As a result, certain fields of study were removed, and others were added to better reflect the current labour market, in accordance with Express Entry priority fields.  119 new fields of study were added in the health care and social services, education and trades sectors and 178 fields of study that were no longer linked to occupations in long-term labour shortages were removed from the list of eligible fields of study.

Therefore, if you have skills in certain areas like French language or have work experience in the health care, social services, trades, or education sectors, you will be prioritized for a PGWP because these are some of the most in-demand fields in Canada right now.

List of Eligible Fields

Evidently, IRCC ensures that the list of eligible fields of study prioritizes sectors leading to occupations experiencing long-term shortages in Canada. Only programs within these sectors qualify for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP).

As mentioned earlier, if your CIP code is not on the list of currently eligible codes at the time you apply for a PGWP, your program may still be eligible based on the date you submitted your study permit application.

It is also important to regularly monitor the eligibility list, as it may change in response to shifting labour market needs.

Contact Us

Do you have questions about working in Canada on a PGWP? Contact us to assess your PGWP eligibility and discuss your next steps.