e-4454 (Citizenship and immigration)

Canada values the significant social, cultural, and economic benefits that international students bring to Canada. For those benefits to continue—and to ensure international students who arrive in Canada are set up for success—we must tackle issues that have made some students vulnerable and have challenged the integrity of the International Students Program (ISP). Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has been carrying out a review of the ISP to strengthen the integrity of the program and enhance protections to address student vulnerability, unethical recruitment, and fraud. The goal of the review is to protect international students and Canada’s interests, and to help modernize the Program.

The Department has also been undertaking a review of the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWP) to ensure it is appropriately supporting Canada’s labour market needs, as well as regional and francophone immigration goals.

In response to labour market disruptions during the pandemic and to support post­pandemic recovery, a temporary policy was introduced on three occasions to provide an additional work permit to PGWP holders as their initial one was expiring.

On December 7, 2023, IRCC announced that this facilitative measure would not be extended beyond its expiry on December 31, 2023, marking a return to the pre-pandemic policy that a person may only get one PGWP.

Those with PGWPs expiring in 2024 and who wish to continue working in Canada would need to apply for another work permit for which they are eligible.

On January 22, 2024, IRCC announced two additional reforms to the PGWP program:

• First, starting May 15, 2024, international students who begin a study program that is part of a curriculum licensing arrangement will no longer be eligible for a PGWP upon graduation. Under curriculum licensing agreements, students physically attend a private college that has been licensed to deliver the curriculum of an associated public college. These programs have seen significant growth in attracting international students in recent years, but they have less oversight than public colleges and they act as a loophole with regard to PGWP eligibility. 
• Further changes to the PGWP include the duration of the work permit for graduates of master’s degree granting programs, who are now eligible to apply for a three-year work permit, even if the program is less than two years in length. Previously, the length of a PGWP was tied to the length of a study program, hindering select master’s degree graduates by limiting the amount of time they had to gain skilled work experience. This change recognizes that graduates of master’s degree programs are excellent candidates to succeed in Canada’s labour market and to potentially transition to permanent residence.