The new Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) eligibility criteria have officially come into effect as of May 15, impacting international students graduating from colleges operating under public-private partnerships (PPPs) in Canada. Initially, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) had announced on January 22, 2024, that graduates from these programs would no longer be eligible for PGWPs starting September 1, 2024. However, this date was advanced to May 15, 2024.
The IRCC decided to move the effective date forward due to reports that some educational institutions had altered their admission schedules to June or August to bypass the new PGWP rules announced earlier in January. Consequently, from May 15 onwards, international students graduating from programs offered through public-private curriculum licensing partnerships are not eligible for PGWPs.
Under the new rules, international students are ineligible for PGWPs if they complete a course or program at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) that operates under a public-private curriculum licensing agreement. This includes students who were enrolled in such programs after January 31, 2023, at institutions offering instruction on behalf of public colleges from different provinces.
There are specific exceptions to these criteria. Students who were enrolled in a program at a private college administered on behalf of a public institution within the same province before May 15, 2024, may still qualify for a PGWP. However, new students who start these programs at public-private partnership institutions on or after May 15, 2024, will not be eligible for a PGWP.
Additionally, new international students who began their studies in these programs after February 1, 2023, are also ineligible for PGWPs. These changes aim to ensure that PGWP eligibility is strictly aligned with public institution standards and to prevent any circumvention of the new rules by altering admission schedules.
Source: Immigration News Canada