Post-graduation work permit

You are only eligible to work on the basis of your study permit as long as you are an active student who has not completed their studies.

Tip: Check your student record daily to see when your final marks/credits are posted.

As an international student graduating from Concordia University, you may be eligible to apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP), which allows you to work in Canada after completing your studies. The eligibility criteria and required documents vary, and depend on the type of program you have completed, whether it is a  bachelor's degree, graduate degree or diploma or certificate).

Eligibility criteria – all students

To be eligible for a PGWP, you must meet the following general requirements:

• Valid study permit: If you are applying from within Canada, you must hold a valid study permit when you apply for your PGWP.
• Program completion: You must have successfully completed and passed your program of study and be eligible to receive your degree, diploma, or certificate.
• Full-time status: You must have maintained full-time student status throughout each required academic term of your program.
  • You may have part-time status during your last term only.
• Language proficiency: You must obtain a minimum level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in English or Niveau de Compétence Linguistique Canadiens (NCLC) 7 in French in all 4 areas.
• Application timing: 
  • From within Canada: You must apply for a PGWP within 90 days of receiving your final grades or before your study permit expires, whichever comes first.
  • From outside Canada: You must apply for a PGWP within 180 days of receiving your final grades.

Additional eligibility requirements for certificate or diploma program graduates

Graduates of certificate or diploma programs should verify the specific eligibility criteria for PGWP, as not all programs may qualify. If your program is eligible, you must provide proof, which will be provided by the University; please speak with your ISO advisor.  

Note: The proof that your certificate or diploma is eligible for a PGWP applies only to students who completed a certificate or diploma program and applied for their original study permit on or after November 1st, 2024.

Required documents – Concordia

These documents can only be requested after you receive your final marks. There are fees for some of these documents.

• Unofficial transcripts
• Completion of Degree letter
• Letter of Attestation – all terms

Required documents – language 

Your test results for either French or English must be less than 2 years old when you submit your application.

• See the accepted language tests and the score equivalency charts.
  • The CELPIP, TCF and IELTS are offered at Concordia.

Other requirements

• Biometrics for Canada (if applicable) – if they are more than 10 years old.
• Medical exam (if applicable) – only if you plan to work in certain jobs in which public health must be protected. Find out if you need a medical exam.

How to apply for your PGWP

If you are eligible, you can apply for your PGWP.

1. Collect the required documents
2. Apply via the Government of Canada website

Instructions to apply for your PGWP

Log into or create your IRCC account.

• Once you are logged in:
  • Select “Apply to come to Canada” ;
  • A new page will open and you should choose the option “I do not have a Personal Reference Code”;
  • Then choose “Apply to come to Canada” and then select “Visitor visa, study and/or work permit” to determine your eligibility to apply online.

Complete the online questionnaire to generate your personal checklist and application.

Once your application is generated, you should see the following:

• IMM5710 (PGWP) Complete the form, validate it and save it locally onto your computer. Upload the form onto your IRCC secure account.
• Passport (scan & upload your passport, make sure you include the main page with all your information and any other pages that have entry/exit stamps)
• Photo (scan & upload a recent photograph 35mm x 45mm)
• Recent Education Transcript - this would be the Unofficial Transcript.
• Completion of Studies Letter – here you will combine into one single PDF the Completion of Degree Letter and the Letter of Attestation
• Proof of language ability is to be uploaded under "Optional Documents/Client Information"

Upload your documents and submit the application.

Once the documents have been uploaded to your IRCC portal, you will be asked to review the application, sign it electronically, submit the application, and make a payment of 255$.

After you submit your application

You are eligible to work immediately after you apply for the PGWP if  all of the following applied to you when you submitted your application:

1. You had a valid study permit;
2. You applied from inside Canada;
3. You completed your program of study;
4. You were authorized to work off-campus by your study permit;
5. You always studied full-time with the exception of summer terms (if summer is an academic break for you) and your very last term;
6. You applied within 90 days of getting your final marks/credits or before the expiration of your study permit, whichever comes first; and
7. You did not work off-campus more than 24 hours per week during academic sessions.

After you obtain your PGWP

Once your PGWP has been approved and you receive the hard copy, you must take care of the following:

Social Insurance Number (SIN)

Your current Social Insurance Number (SIN) has likely expired or will expire shortly because it is tied to your study permit. Apply for a new SIN through Service Canada after you have applied for a PGWP.    

RAMQ (Quebec Medicare card)

If you plan to stay in Quebec, apply for the RAMQ (Quebec Medical coverage).

Temporary Resident Visa (TRV)

If your TRV is set to expire, you will need to renew it as a worker.