Canada allows foreign post-graduates to work for two years

18 May 2005

As of 16 May Canada's post-graduation work program allows certain students to work for up to two years after their graduation. Previously, students were only allowed to work for one year.

Foreign students are eligible for a post-graduation work permit only for employment in their field of study. They must still have a valid study permit and apply for the work permit within 90 days of receiving written confirmation (transcript, letter, etc.) from their institution indicating that they have met the requirements of their program.

Once students have one of these documents, they can apply for a work permit. Post-graduation work permits are only available to graduates of a program at a Canadian university, a community college, a CEGEP, a publicly funded trade or technical school or a Canadian private institution authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees.

To be eligible for a two-year work permit (rather than just a one-year permit), foreign students must have

successfully completed a program of at least two years of full-time studies;
received written confirmation (transcript, letter, etc.) from the educational institution indicating that they have met the requirements of the program of study;
studied at and graduated from an institution located outside of the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) or the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD);
found employment outside of the CMM, GTA or GVRD.

Foreign students who currently hold a one-year post-graduation work permit and who meet the eligibility criteria for a two-year permit can apply for a one-year extension of their work permit.