PGWP in 2026: field of study and language rules

What changed in 2026

For PGWP eligibility, very little. We checked IRCC's PGWP pages on October 20, 2026 and found no new eligibility rule that came into force this year. Two points are worth knowing:

The field-of-study list is frozen for the year. IRCC's field-of-study page states: "For 2026, we won't add or remove any eligible fields of study."
The eligibility page was updated on June 24, 2026. Its list of graduates who are not eligible includes those who completed a non-credit program (except a flight school program).

The rules most graduates deal with date from November 1, 2024, when the language requirement and the field-of-study requirement started, and from March 11, 2025, when college graduates of degree programs were moved to the higher language level.

Basic eligibility

You completed a program of at least 8 months (900 hours in Quebec) at a PGWP-eligible designated learning institution (DLI).
You were a full-time student in every semester. The final semester may be part-time.
You apply within 180 days of getting written confirmation from your school that you completed the program. IRCC counts from the earliest of the date final marks were issued, the date of formal written notice of completion, or the date the credential was issued.
Your study permit was valid at some point during those 180 days.
You have never received a PGWP before. There is only one per person.

Some programs never qualify: English or French as a second language, general-interest courses, non-credit programs (except flight school), programs of a non-Canadian institution located in Canada, and most programs a private college delivers under a curriculum licence from a public college. For those licensing arrangements, the exceptions depend on your start date: on or before May 15, 2024 within one province, or on or before January 31, 2023 across provinces. If your study permit lock-in date is on or after September 1, 2024, at least half the program must be completed in class in Canada, and time studied outside Canada is deducted from the permit's length.

Language test minimums

Every PGWP application submitted on or after November 1, 2024 needs a language test result at the level below, in all four skills.

Program you graduated from	Minimum level
Bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree, or another university program	CLB 7 (English) or NCLC 7 (French)
Bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree from a college or other non-university institution	CLB 7 or NCLC 7 (applications since March 11, 2025)
College, polytechnic or other non-university program that is not a degree	CLB 5 or NCLC 5

College degree graduates who applied between November 1, 2024 and March 10, 2025 only needed CLB 5. If you are combining two programs and one has the higher requirement, you must meet the higher one.

Accepted tests are CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core for English, and TEF Canada and TCF Canada for French. Results must be less than 2 years old on the day you submit, and IRCC says tests should be taken in person. Graduates of a PGWP-eligible flight school are exempt from both the language and the field-of-study requirements.

Field of study: who it applies to

The field-of-study requirement does not apply to everyone. You must meet it only if both of these are true:

your program does not lead to a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree (for example a college diploma or certificate, or a non-degree university program); and
you applied for your study permit on or after November 1, 2024.

You are exempt if you hold a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree, graduated from a PGWP-eligible flight school, applied for your study permit before November 1, 2024, or applied for your PGWP before November 1, 2024.

If the requirement applies, your program's 6-digit CIP code must be on IRCC's list of eligible codes on the date you submitted either your study permit application or your PGWP application. Either date works. If your program was eligible when you applied for your study permit, you can finish it and stay eligible even if the field is later removed. You include proof that your program matches an eligible CIP code with your application.

How long the PGWP lasts

Program of 8 months to less than 2 years: up to the length of the program.
Program of 2 years or more: up to 3 years.
Master's degree of at least 8 months, even if under 2 years: up to 3 years (since February 15, 2024). This does not apply to certificates or diplomas.
Two eligible programs of at least 8 months each can be combined.
The permit cannot run past your passport's expiry date. If it is shortened for that reason, you can apply to extend it once you have a new passport.

Applying, working while you wait, and maintained status

In most cases you apply online, from inside or outside Canada. The fee is $255: the $155 work permit fee plus the $100 open work permit holder fee. Biometrics, if required, cost $85.

Your study permit stops being valid on its printed expiry date or 90 days after you complete your studies, whichever comes first. Timing your PGWP application around that date matters:

You apply while your study permit is validYou are on maintained status and may stay in Canada until IRCC decides. If you were eligible to work off campus during your studies, you may work full time while you wait (IRPR 186(w)). IRCC's officer instructions say this continues after leaving and re-entering Canada, but re-entry itself is decided at the border.
Your study permit has already expiredYou have up to 90 days after it expired to apply for the PGWP and restore your status as a student, paying the $255 PGWP fee plus the restoration fee. You cannot work until the PGWP is approved. After 90 days, you must leave Canada.
Your marks will come after your permit expiresIRCC says you can apply for a visitor record before the study permit expires, or leave Canada and apply from outside.

If the PGWP is refused, you must stop working and leave Canada.

Common mistakes

Trusting the printed expiry date. The study permit can stop being valid 90 days after you finish, well before the date on the permit.
Applying after the permit expired. You may still be able to apply with restoration, but you lose the right to work while you wait.
Using the wrong test or an old result. Only IELTS General Training is on IRCC's list, and results must be under 2 years old when you submit.
Assuming a college degree needs only CLB 5. Since March 11, 2025 it needs CLB 7.
Checking the field-of-study list only today. The date you applied for your study permit can also count.
Planning on a second PGWP. A second program does not give you another permit if you already received one.

General information only. This article explains the rules as IRCC states them on October 20, 2026. It is not advice on a particular file. Check your program's CIP code and your dates with your school and on IRCC's pages before you apply.

Post-graduation work permit in 2026: field of study and language rules.