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New Open Work Permit for PGWP Holders Even Those with Expired PGWP

Posted on 09/01/2021

Are you an international student whose Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) expired recently, or is about to expire?

Then listen up, because Canadian authorities have announced a new Open Work Permit that will function like an extension to your PGWP and that may very well allow you to obtain the work experience that the COVID-19 pandemic has made more difficult to achieve.

Here’s how it will work.

Canadian authorities estimate that over 50,000 recently graduated international students in Canada may be facing expired or soon-to-expire Post Graduate Work Permits. If you’re one of these graduates you are a skilled, well-educated, bi-lingual or multi-lingual worker with a first-class academic grounding through Canada’s post-secondary educational system.

Canada needs you – without skilled immigration the Canadian economy would face demographic collapse and economic stagnation as has happened in countries like Japan – and is adopting this policy to ensure you have a better chance of gaining that crucial work experience and leveraging your degree and work skills into a permanent resident visa.

This will be done by allowing you to apply for an Open Work Permit that will be valid for 18 months. It will therefore essentially be an 18-month extension of your PGWP.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this open work permit you must:

  • Have a PGWP that expired on or after January 30, 2020, OR
  • Have a PGWP that will expire 4 months or less from the date you apply, AND
  • Still be residing in Canada, AND
  • Have a valid temporary status, or be applying to restore your temporary status

When to Apply

Applications will be accepted from January 27, 2021 through July 27, 2021

How to Apply

Instructions on how to apply will be posted at IRCC’s website here on January 27, 2021. We will update this blog to include them as soon as they are available.

Stay tuned. This is important.

 

 

 

Posted in News and tagged Open Work Permit, Post Graduation Work Permit

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