New Delhi: The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has made impactful changes to the Postgraduation Work Permit (PGWP) programme which got effective from November 1. The details on the new rules are available on the IRCC’s official website.
Applicants need to meet the general eligibility requirements and also need to be located within certain regions. To qualify for the permit, candidates should complete their programme at a designated learning institute which is eligible for PGWP.
Key changes
The developments include the introduction of new language proficiency, field-of-study requirements and much more. As per the new regulations set by IRCC, candidates while applying are now required to submit proof of language proficiency.
IRCC also confirmed that graduate students will remain eligible for the PGWPs for three years, without any restrictions on the field of study. However, for college graduates, only for some of the courses the new rules are applicable.
English language proficiency requirement
With the use of the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) standards, English language proficiency will be evaluated, while French language proficiency will be checked by the Niveaux de Competence linguistique canadien (NCLC).
Applicants will have to signify reading, writing, speaking and listening skills with language test results from the last two years. The English tests that will be accepted include the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP), International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and Pearson Test of English (PTE) core. While, for French, French Evaluation Test(TEF) Canada and French Knowledge Test (TCF) Canada will be accepted
‘Field-of-study’ requirements
The updated ‘field-of-study’ requirements state that if a study programme includes this condition, candidates will have to have completed a course in fields with long-term job shortages. The fields are further divided into five main areas which include agriculture and agri-food, healthcare, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), trade, and transport.
