Canada: Extension of Post-Graduate Work Permits Announced

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that foreign nationals in Canada who hold an expired or expiring post-graduate work permit (PGWP) will be able to apply for an open work permit extension or a new open work permit valid up to 18 months, starting April 6, 2023. The open work permit will be available to foreign nationals whose PGWP expired in 2023 and to those individuals whose PGWP expired between September 20, 2021 and December 31, 2022 and who were eligible for a work permit extension under a former similar policy implemented in August 2022. Furthermore, graduates with expired work permits whose temporary residence status has also expired will be able to restore their status, despite being beyond the 90-day restoration period to regularize status in Canada. According to IRCC, applicants for the open work permit will be able to work in Canada during the processing of their application. The measures are intended to provide more time for eligible foreign nationals to access pathways to qualify for an obtain permanent residence while contributing to the Canadian economy and filling labor shortages. As a reminder, open work permits allow foreign nationals to work for any employer in Canada. Further instructions on applying for the open work permits will be available on IRCC’s website in the coming weeks.