Post Study Work Rights In Canada from Bangladesh

A PGWP allows students to stay back and work in Canada after graduation. This helps students gain working experience in Canada.

The duration of the PGWP depends on a student's course length. Eg. For case, if a student finishes their postgraduate course in two years, their PGWP duration will be three years. The maximum length for PGWP is three years. However, a PGWP is only granted to students with a course length of 8 months or more.

Students must also remember that they will need 180 days after the final results to get a PGWP. Thus, they must get their student visa's accordingly. 

What is a Post-Graduation Work Permit?

 Post Graduate Work Permit, or PGWP, is required for students willing to work in Canada after graduation. It allows students to stay back and work in Canada after graduation. This is very important as it helps students gain work experience in Canada. It is also beneficial if they wish to gain permanent residency in Canada.

However, not all students studying in Canada can apply for PGWP. To do so, they must be in one of the Designated Learning Institutes of Canada (DLIs). Students must also remember that it can take up to 180 days to obtain a PGWP. Thus, they must apply right after getting their final scores. They must also keep their student visa duration in mind.

Latest Visa Updates in Canada

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian government has updated the PGWP. This was done mainly because of the imposed travel restrictions. Students could not travel to Canada, and most had to attend online sessions.

Thus, the Canadian government changed the eligibility criteria for PGWP. Some of these changes are:

• Students must attend online sessions until 30th April 2021. No time will be deduced from their Work Permit during this period. But, they must complete 50% of the program in Canada.
• Students enrolled in 8-12 month extended programs from May to September 2022 can complete their course online. And they can still apply for PGWP.
• Students with programs from May 2020 to September 2020 must study online until 30th April 2021. They can graduate from more than one program during this duration. They can also combine all course lengths while applying for PGWP. But they must have completed 50% of their studies in Canada.

To apply the new measures, students must submit their study permit application. The applications must state their programs start in Spring, Summer, Fall 2020 semester or January 2020 semester.

Who can Apply for the Canada Work Permit?

All the students who graduate from a Designated Learning Institute (DLI) of Canada can apply. But they must apply within 180 days of course completion.

Some other essential things that students must be fulfilled are:

• They must have enough money to stay back and care for themselves in Canada.
• Their student visa must be valid.
• They must obey all rules and regulations and have no criminal records.
• They must not act as a danger to Canadian security.
• They must be healthy and have a medical exam.
• They must not work under employers marked as ineligible. They can check this on the list of employers who failed to comply with the conditions.
• They must not work for an employer offering regular striptease, escort services, erotic dances, or massages.
• They must be able to provide the documents necessary to prove they can enter Canada.

Eligibility Criteria for PGWP in Canada

All the students applying for PGWP need to fulfil specific criteria. The first and most important is that they must have graduated from a DLI. Other than this, they need to confirm that they attended the program, the name of the program, and the length of the program. They must also submit documents like a degree, transcript, and official letter from the school.

Some other eligibility criteria are given below:

• Must have completed a study program that is at least eight months long and gives a degree, diploma, or certificate.
• Must have maintained full-time status as a student during each semester. This doesn't include the last semester. It also doesn't apply if students switch to online mode during a pandemic.
• Must have graduated from a public/private post-secondary institute, authorized Canadian institute, or a public/private secondary institute.
• Must apply for a work permit within 180 days of course completion.
• Must have a valid student visa at the time of application.

Duration Of Postgraduate Work Permit (PGWP) Canada

The duration of the students of PGWP depends on the time of the student's course.

Given below are the various durations of PGWP depending on course duration:

When Should I Apply for PGWP in Canada?

Students can apply for PGWP while in Canada or from outside Canada. They must apply within 180 days of completing their course. Some essential documents a student must have at the time of application are:

• Degree or diploma
• A transcript
• An official letter from the university.

In case a student's visa expires before they can apply for PGWP, they have two options:

• They can apply for a visitor record to stay longer
• They can leave Canada and apply online.

Suppose a student does apply for a visitor record. They have up to 90 days left to apply for a PGWP. Thus, they must apply for PGWP and restore their status as a student. To do so, they must:

• Apply for PGWP online and pay the fees ($255)
• Pay the fees required for changing status to students ($350)

How Do I Get My Letter Of Completion?

A letter of completion is a document provided by the university. It states that the student has fulfilled the requirements for their program. It helps external organizations extract information about a student's degree. It may include information like the course completed, the date of completion, and a list of courses.

Sometimes, students may need to ask the university to provide a letter of completion. They might need to provide information about the external organization for which they need the letter. But, a student cannot get a letter of completion before completing the course.

Once they receive the Completion letter, students can:

• Apply for a PQWP, 90 days within receiving the letter
• Enrol in a new program of study

What Happens 90 Days After Your Letter Of Completion Becomes Available?

All students must apply for PGWP within 180 days of receiving their letter of completion. A student's study permit ends 90 days after receiving their letter of completion, irrespective of what's written on the permit. Thus, students must not delay applying for PGWP.

But, in case a student's study permit expires before receiving the Letter of Completion or within 90 days. They can extend their study permit for an additional 90 days. They must apply for this four months before their study permit expires. They also need to explain the reason for the extension. They can state that they are extending to apply for the PGWP. 

What Happens 180 Days After Your Letter Of Completion Becomes Available?

A student can apply for PGWP within 180 days of receiving their Letter of Completion. They can do this from inside or outside Canada. However, a student's study visa must be valid for 180 days if they are applying inside Canada.

In case a doesn't apply within 90 days of receiving a Letter of Completion with a valid study permit. They can:

• Change their status to the visitor and apply for PGWP from inside Canada.
• Leave Canada and apply online for PGWP from outside Canada.

What Can You Do If Your Passport Expires Before Your PGWP?

If a student's passport expires before their PGWP does, two situations may take place:

• The PGWP will only be valid until the passport expires
• They might need to extend the passport validity to get the full benefit of their PGWP

Can I Work While I Am Applying For The PGWP in Canada?

Yes, a student can work before they receive their letter of completion. They can also work up to 20 hours per week during their final semester if allowed. After completion, a student can work until they receive their letter of completion.

But, working after receiving a letter of completion is not allowed. Thus, a student must check if they have received their Letter of Completion every day. Once they receive the letter, they can only work after applying for the PGWP.

How To Restore Your Status As A Canadian Student?

In case a student had to extend their stay period by applying for a visitor record. They will have 90 days left to apply for PGWP.

So, they must not delay any further. They can restore student status while applying for PGWP in the following way:

• Apply for PGWP online and pay the fees ($255)
• Pay the fees required for changing the position to students ($350)

After receiving your PGWP, list the correction.

After Receiving The PGWP Student Must Do The Following:

• Extend their medical service plan
• Apply for or extend their Social Insurance Number
• Apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA)

Ways To Get A More Permanent Work Visa After Studying In Canada

After graduating from Canada, students can get a chance to work in Canada or even live there permanently. To work in Canada, students need to apply for a PGWP. Once they've received the PGWP, they can work in Canada and gain experience. The work experience will help them qualify for permanent residency in Canada.

How Can Dependents Get A PGWP in Canada?

In case a student is living with dependents. They can also apply for their dependent PGWP. But, they must do so before the dependent's documents expire. They must also have three payslips of the dependent in a high skilled position.

What Is A Visa Required For Dependents?

A student can take their dependents with them while moving to study in Canada. Dependents include spouses, common-law parents, and dependent children. They can apply for their dependent's visa while applying for their study visa or separately. They can apply for a study visa, work visa, or visitor record. However, they must make sure their passport doesn't expire soon. If it does, they must renew it before going to Canada.

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