How to apply for a post-graduation work permit(PGWP)

You can apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) from inside Canada or from another country, as long as you’re eligible.

You have up to 180 days to apply for a PGWP after you get your

• degree or diploma
• transcript or
• official letter from your school

If your study permit will expire before you get your marks, you have 2 options. You can

• apply for a visitor record to stay in Canada longer or
• leave Canada and apply for your PGWP

If your study permit expires before you apply

If you don’t change your status to visitor and your study permit expires, you have up to 90 days after your study permit expires to apply for a PGWP and restore your status as a student.

To restore your status as a student, you must

• apply online for your PGWP and pay the correct fee ($255) and
• pay the fee to restore your status as a student ($350)
  • Because of system limitations, you must pay the fees to restore your status as a student online and attach a copy of the receipt to your PGWP online application. You don’t need to make a separate application to restore your status as a student.

You can’t work until your study permit and work permit have been approved.

If you don’t apply within the 90 days, or if the 90 days have already passed, you must leave Canada.

Get your documents ready

Before you can apply for a PGWP, you need one of the following to prove you’ve completed your studies:

• a degree or diploma
• an official letter from your school
• an official transcript, or a copy of your transcript from your school’s website

We may request other documents once we receive your application.