Canada Updates Post-Graduation Work Permit Rules for International Students

Canada has made a major change to its Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) rules, offering good news for many international students. On July 4, 2025, the Canadian government updated its policy and reinstated PGWP eligibility for many study fields that were recently removed from the list.

What Is the PGWP?
The Post-Graduation Work Permit allows international students in Canada to work for up to three years after they finish their studies. It gives students a chance to gain Canadian work experience and can help them apply for permanent residency in the future.

What Changed?
On June 25, 2025, Canada had removed 178 fields of study from the list of programs eligible for the PGWP. At the same time, 119 new fields of study were added. This caused confusion for many students who had already applied or were planning to apply for study permits.

However, in a policy reversal announced on July 4, 2025, the government reinstated PGWP eligibility for all study programs that were removed on June 25. These programs will now remain eligible until early 2026, when the list will be updated again.

Important Dates to Know

June 25, 2025: 178 programs were removed from the eligibility list.
July 4, 2025: The removed programs were added back and are now valid until the next update in early 2026.
If you submitted your study permit application between June 25 and July 4, your program will still meet the field of study requirement when you graduate.

What Is the Field of Study Requirement?
To qualify for the PGWP, your program must match an eligible CIP code. A CIP code (Classification of Instructional Programs) is a 6-digit code used by the Canadian government to group education programs by subject area.

Programs with eligible CIP codes are often linked to jobs that are in high demand in Canada. These can change based on the needs of the Canadian labor market.

How to Find Your CIP Code
You can find your program’s CIP code by: