MANY PGWP APPLICATIONS MAY BE REFUSED DUE TO NEW IRCC UPDATES (2025–2026)

✨ SICON would like to inform you of the latest changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), effective December 11, 2025.

If you are an international student in Canada or planning to apply for a PGWP, you need to pay close attention. These changes materially affect eligibility and refusal risk.

1️⃣ Harmonized language and program requirements

(Effective March 11, 2025)

As of March 11, 2025, graduates of non-university degree-granting programs must meet the same language requirements as university graduates.

📌 Transitional exemptions no longer apply.
Applications submitted after this date but prepared under the old framework face a high risk of refusal.

2️⃣ Study authorization requirement

To be eligible for a PGWP, applicants must have held authorization to study in Canada at some point within 180 days of receiving written confirmation of program completion.

This may include:

• Students applying to extend a Study Permit, and

• Students authorized to continue studying under maintained status (R189) when completing their program.

📌 However, maintained status does not automatically allow:

• Submission of a PGWP application from within Canada, or

• Continued work authorization while the application is in process.

Filing a PGWP while in the wrong permit status is a common and serious real-world risk.

3️⃣ Language and field-of-study requirements

(Effective November 1, 2024)

🔹 Key exemption:
Students who submitted their initial Study Permit application before November 1, 2024 are exempt from the field-of-study (CIP) requirement for PGWP assessment.

🔹 Important clarification:
This exemption continues to apply even if the Study Permit is extended on or after November 1, 2024.

For Study Permit applications submitted from November 1, 2024 onward, the program of study may be required to fall within an IRCC-eligible CIP field at the time of assessment.

4️⃣ Clarification of “Final Academic Session”

IRCC has issued clearer guidance on the definition of “Final Academic Session” for the purpose of assessing full-time study compliance under the PGWP program.

Mandatory student status rule

To be eligible for a PGWP, students must maintain full-time student status in every academic session of their program.

Sole exception: part-time in the final session

Students may study part-time only in the Final Academic Session, provided that this is the session in which they could complete all program requirements.

Correct interpretation of “Final Academic Session”

This is not the session the student personally considers to be final.
It is any academic session in which, academically, the student could have completed all requirements for graduation.

Special case (failure in the final term):
If a student studies part-time in the final session but fails a course and must take an additional term to graduate, IRCC may treat both terms together as the Final Academic Session, provided that:

• All prior academic sessions were full-time, and

• The transcript shows reasonable academic progress throughout the program.

⚠️ Risks to avoid

Studying part-time outside the Final Academic Session, or extending the program without a valid academic justification, may result in:

• PGWP refusal, and
• A finding of non-compliance with Study Permit conditions.

These updates are critical for ensuring PGWP eligibility. If you are enrolled in a non-university degree program or approaching graduation, you should reassess your situation carefully under the new IRCC framework.

Contact SICON today for a strategic, case-specific PGWP assessment and ensure your application meets the latest IRCC requirements.