After graduation, international students have a chance to stay in Canada to live and work. Foreign nationals who want to gain valuable work experience in their professional field after completion of studies may apply for a work permit under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP). In addition, a post-graduation work permit may help graduates to qualify for permanent residence in Canada through Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

A work permit under the PGWPP may be issued for the length of the study program, up to a maximum of three years. It cannot be valid for longer than the student’s program of study, and the program must be at least eight months in length.

In order to be eligible for a post-graduation work permit, applicants must meet the following requirement:

• Have studied full-time in Canada and completed a program of study that lasted at least eight months.

In addition, applicants must:

• Be 18 years of age or older at the time of application
• Have a valid study permit when applying for the work permit
• Have completed a full-time program that lasted 900 hours or more (normally eight months in length), leading to a Diplôme d’études professionnelles (DEP) or an Attestation de spécialisation professionnelle (ASP)
• Apply for a work permit within 90 days of receiving written confirmation from the institution indicating the completion of program
• Provide a supporting letter from your institution outlining the duration of studies and the program code

For many international graduates, the Canadian Experience Class offers the fastest and most simple path to achieving Permanent Residency. Upon completion of a program or course of study at a Canadian educational institution, international graduates are able to remain in the country on post-graduate work permits. If, during this time, a graduate obtains at least one year of work in a skilled, professional or technical field, they may then become eligible to apply for the Canadian Experience Class.

As of January 2015, completing an Express Entry profile is the first step for interested candidates who want to be considered for CEC. Eligible candidates may no longer apply directly to the program. Instead, they need to make an expression of interest in immigrating to Canada and enter the Express Entry pool, where, subject to their ranking under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), they may receive an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence and make an application.

The eligibility requirements remain the same under Canada’s new Express Entry immigration selection system, as it did before the CEC program updates:

• Have at least 12 months of full-time (or an equal amount in part-time) skilled work experience in Canada in the three years before applying
• Have gained work experience in Canada with the proper authorization
• Meet the required language proficiency levels (for all skills: speaking, reading, writing, and listening) needed for employment
• Plan to live outside the province of Quebec