Full-time international students may be eligible to apply for a PGWP upon completion of their studies in Canada. The PGWP is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It is an open work permit of up to three years in length, and you don't need a job offer to apply.

·  Click here to review the eligibility requirements to apply for a PGWP

In February 2021, IRCC implemented a temporary public policy for certain Hong Kong residents to be eligible for an open work permit of up to three years in length, if meeting certain eligibility requirements. Note that the open work permit for Hong Kong recent graduates is different from a PGWP. For more information about this work permit, including full eligibility requirements and how to apply, visit the IRCC website.

As instructed in the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)’s official website, you must apply for a PGWP within 180 days of receiving a written notification of your program completion from SFU. We recommend you begin counting the 180-day period from the final grade submission deadline of your final term. For undergraduate students completing in the Fall 2021 term, the final grade submission deadline is December 24, 2021.

Note: the date of your convocation ceremony has no relation to the 180-day application period for your PGWP.

To apply for a PGWP within Canada, you must have valid temporary resident status in Canada (e.g. a valid study permit, valid visitor status, or maintained status (formerly known as implied status) at the time of your application. 

You may apply for a PGWP within Canada while holding maintained status, provided that you have applied to extend your study permit or change your status to visitor before your study permit expires or becomes invalid. 

** Keep in mind that your study permit will automatically become invalid 90 days after you have completed your program, or on the expiry date printed on your study permit, whichever comes first.** 

Click here to download the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) Timeline in a PDF format and customize your own application timeline.

In most cases, you must apply online. You must include the following supporting documents from SFU with your application:

• A final transcript (an unofficial transcript from goSFU showing your final marks is sufficient), and
• An official letter confirming the successful completion of your academic requirements. You may use one of the following for this purpose:
  • Credential Completion Letter(CCL)
    • Must be manually downloaded via goSFU (You will not receive an automatic notification when the CCL becomes available on goSFU)
    • Available on January 25, 2022 after your graduation application is approved
    • Download and save a copy of your CCL as it will no longer be available after the Senate letter is sent to you
  • Senate Letter/Formal Notification of Graduation
    • Emailed to your SFU email address on February 8, 2022 after your degree is awarded by the Senate

Review the links below on how to request the above documents and apply for your work permit online: 

If your study permit will expire or become invalid before you can submit your post-graduation work permit application, you have several options for how to proceed. If you are unsure what your best option would be, consult with an International Student Advisor, Immigration Specialist for advice.

Option 1: Apply to extend your study permit within Canada, if eligible

If you are still in your final term of studies, you may submit an application to extend your study permit within Canada for an additional 90 days (e.g. you may request your study permit to be extended to the end of March 2022) which is also known as a “bridge extension”. If you apply to renew your study permit prior to its expiry date, you can remain in Canada and apply for your PGWP under maintained status while waiting for a decision to be made on your application.

If you submit your PGWP while holding maintained status, you will not be eligible to work during the transition period to the post-graduation work permit. You must wait to receive your work permit first before you can start working.

Option 2: Apply to change your status to visitor

To remain in Canada longer, you may also apply to change your status to visitor. To do so, you must apply for a visitor record before your study permit expires or becomes invalid.

You may remain in Canada and submit your PGWP application while holding maintained status while your visitor record application is in process.  However, you will not be eligible to work and must wait to receive your work permit first before you can start working.

Option 3: Apply for a post-graduation work permit outside Canada

If you will apply for your PGWP from outside Canada, you should either leave Canada before your current status expires, or apply to extend your stay in Canada (if you plan to leave later) using Option 1 or 2 above. 

Please refer to the next question on how to apply for a post-graduation work permit from outside Canada.

You may have the option to apply for a PGWP from outside Canada within 180 days of receiving written notification of your program completion from SFU.

To be eligible to apply for a PGWP from outside Canada, you must either have a study permit, or have received a study permit approval (i.e. port of entry letter of introduction confirming that your study permit has been approved).

• Visit here for more information on the application deadlines.
• Visit here for the eligibility criteria to apply for a PGWP from outside Canada
• In assessing and weighing your options between an in-Canada and outside Canada PGWP application, various factors should be taken into consideration such as:
  • your eligibility to apply for a work permit outside Canada; 
  • IRCC’s current processing times;
  • availability of biometrics enrollment appointments at biometrics collection sites abroad;
  • access to third-party service providers such as panel physicians for immigration medical examinations (if applicable);
  • your vaccination status (i.e. if you qualify as fully vaccinated); and
  • your ability to meet the travel exemptions and entry requirements to enter Canada.

Upon approval of your PGWP application from outside Canada, please ensure that you are exempt from the travel restrictions (if the travel restrictions are still in place at the time of your travel) and meet the entry requirements to travel back to Canada. Visit here for more information on how your travel may be impacted by the current travel restrictions.

If you would like to discuss your options for how you should proceed, please contact an International Student Advisor, Immigration Specialist for assistance.

If you are holding maintained status (i.e. you have applied to extend your study permit prior to its expiry date), you can submit a PGWP application and may remain in Canada while waiting for a decision on your applications.

If you were eligible to work in your final term, you may continue to work under maintained/implied status up to 20 hours per week until you receive your credential completion letter. Once you have received your credential completion letter, you must stop working immediately and can't resume working until you receive your PGWP. 

If you were eligible to work in your final term, you may continue to work up to a maximum of 20 hours per week until the first date you receive your credential completion letter. Your study permit must also remain valid during this period. 

You must stop working when your credential completion letter is issued via goSFU. Keep in mind that you will not receive an automatic notification when the credential completion letter becomes available. You must request the letter online via goSFU.

After submitting your PGWP application, you may start working on a full-time basis only if you meet certain eligibility requirements set by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). If you don’t meet those requirements, you must wait to receive your work permit first before starting or resuming work.

• Click here to check if you are eligible to work off campus in your final term.
• Click here to check if you meet the eligibility requirements to work after applying for your work permit.
• Click here for a timeline of work eligibility after program completion.

With the exception of part-time studies in the final term, continuous full-time enrollment in each academic session (i.e. Spring and Fall term) throughout your studies is a requirement that you must meet to be eligible for the PGWP. For undergraduate students at SFU, the Spring and Fall terms are considered as academic sessions for immigration purposes. Please note that SFU does not have a formal leave of absence process in place for undergraduate students. If you took a term off during your studies at SFU, in support of your post-graduation work permit application, you should include a letter from SFU confirming SFU's leave policy for undergraduate students. 

• Click here to download a letter outlining SFU's leave policy for undergraduate students

If you were not able to maintain continuous full-time enrollment in all Spring and Fall terms (e.g. you studied part time or took a term off) at SFU, it is strongly recommended that you include a letter of explanation with your application detailing your unique circumstance(s). Depending on the circumstances, supporting documents may also be submitted as evidence of reason/s for any gaps in your full-time enrollment.

• Check here for tips on how to write your Letter of Explanation

Under normal circumstances, valid biometrics (fingerprints and photo) are required for IRCC to complete processing of your application. If you have not already provided your biometrics in the past 10 years and are not exempt from the requirement, you will need to give your biometrics for your post-graduation work permit application. Click here to find out how to give your biometrics.

If you gave biometrics in the past as part of an application to come to Canada (e.g. applying for a temporary resident visa or a study permit outside of Canada), they may still be valid. To check whether your biometrics are still valid and when they will expire, visit the Check Status Tool on the IRCC website.

Please note that the above exemption will only apply if you are applying from within Canada. 

If you will be applying for your PGWP outside Canada, biometrics enrollment will still be required unless you are exempt, or you already have valid biometrics with IRCC. You will have 30 days from the date of your biometrics instruction letter (BIL) to give your biometrics. If the biometrics collection sites still remain closed in your country and or you are unable to complete your biometrics enrolment within the given deadline, you should contact IRCC directly via its web form requesting an extension on your biometrics enrollment. You should submit a letter of explanation addressing why you are unable to give your biometrics in time.

• Click here for more information about biometrics collection outside Canada
• Click here to learn more about applications with missing biometrics outside Canada

Visit here for information on how COVID-19 is affecting IRCC and its operations.  It is important to keep in mind how COVID-19 may impact the eligibility and processing of your PGWP:

-Enrollment status in the Spring 2020 term: 

Please visit here for more information if you were unable to maintain full-time enrollment status in Spring 2020 term due to COVID-19. 

Please note that this IRCC’s flexibility on full-time enrollment status has not been extended beyond the Summer 2020 term.  As of September 2020, students must meet the full-time enrollment requirement (with the only exception of part-time studies in the final term or an anthorized leave up to 150 days) to qualify for a PGWP.

-Remote learning in and outside Canada: 

Under normal circumstances, distance-learning courses completed outside Canada are excluded from the time accumulated toward the length of the PGWP. However, on an exceptional basis, IRCC has implemented temporary policy changes to accommodate eligible online studies that have been completed in and outside Canada. Recently, this flexibility was further extended, allowing students to continue studying from outside Canada through August 31, 2022. 

o   Remote learning in Canada:

IRCC has confirmed that online studies completed within Canada due to COVID-19 will not adversely impact your eligibility for the PGWP. Visit here for more information.

o   Remote learning outside Canada:

Time spent studying outside Canada between Spring 2020 and August 31, 2022 will also not be deducted from the overall length of the PGWP, provided that you fall into one of the eligible categories and meet all the other eligibility requirements for a PGWP.

-Processing times: 

Due to service disruptions caused by COVID-19, IRCC’s current processing times may no longer be accurate. Some visa offices abroad are experiencing prolonged processing times for work permit applications that are submitted outside Canada.

If you apply for your PGWP within Canada, you may remain in Canada with an expired study permit as long as you submit your PGWP application before your study permit expires or becomes invalid.

-Biometrics Collection in and outside Canada:

Please visit here for information on how COVID-19 may impact biometrics collection for your PGWP application.

Under the current travel restrictions, travelling to Canada for short-term visits such as your Convocation Ceremony or applying for a post-graduation work permit within Canada is generally not considered essential and will not be permitted, unless you are eligible for another exemption to the travel restrictions (such as the exemption allowing fully vaccinated travellers to enter for discretionary purposes).

• Check here for detailed information and to find out if you qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller.

If you plan to travel abroad while your PGWP application is being processed within Canada, your ability to enter/return to Canada may depend on a variety of factors including the validity of your immigration documents, the timing of your arrival/return to Canada, your vaccination status, your eligibility  for the fully vaccinated traveller exemption or another exemption category (if travel restrictions are still in place when you plan to enter Canada).

If you are not eligible for the fully vaccinated traveller exemption and seek to enter Canada as a work permit holder, you must demonstrate that your trip to Canada is for non-discretionary purpose. Note that the entry requirements for temporary workers can vary depending on whether you hold a valid work permit based on an application submitted in Canada, or a letter of introduction based on approval of an outside-Canada application. Note that a Border Services Officer will make the final decision on whether you are eligible to enter Canada. 

Please review the following to make an informed decision about your travel plans:

• Travel restrictions and exemptions for temporary foreign workers
• IRCC’s Program Delivery Instructions on non-discretionary travel for temporary workers (if are not eligible for the fully vaccinated traveller exemption)

Under the current procedure, international travellers to Canada must also meet certain health requirements. Before travelling to Canada, please make sure that you know what you need to do before and after your arrival in Canada and take the proper steps to comply with all the requirements.

• Check here for information on travel, testing, quarantine and other entry requirements
• Check here for the checklists of requirements for entering Canada

-New testing and quarantine requirements for certain fully vaccinated travellers

A new testing requirement has been implemented and is now in effect for fully vaccinated travellers arriving by air from departure points other than the United States. Under this new testing requirement, fully vaccinated travellers are subject to arrival testing. Fully vaccinated travellers who are selected for arrival testing will be required to quarantine in a suitable place until they receive a negative test result. Please note that testing and quarantine requirements remain unchanged for partially and or unvaccinated travellers.

• Check here for information on COVID-19 vaccinated travellers entering Canada

-Mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirements to board a flight or train

Currently, travellers departing from Canadian airports, travelling within Canada by air or on VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer trains, are required to be fully vaccinated with an approved vaccine in order to travel. Proof of full vaccination will be required for all travellers aged 12 and over to board domestic or international flights departing most airports in Canada.

• Check here for detailed information about the vaccination requirements to board a flight or train in Canada.
• Check here for information on proof of vaccination

As the rules around travel and entry to Canada continue to evolve and may change without notice, please refer to the Government of Canada website for the most up-to-date information on travel requirements and border measures. If you have questions or would like to discuss your travel plans and options, please connect with an International Student Advisor, Immigration Specialist.  

You must have adequate medical insurance coverage during your time in Canada. As a resident of British Columbia who is residing in BC for six months or longer, you are legally required to enroll yourself in the BC Medical Services Plan (MSP).  In most cases, your MSP coverage is issued to match the expiry date of your current immigration document (e.g. your study permit or work permit). Thus, if you are currently covered under MSP but have recently renewed your study permit, you must extend your coverage with MSP by submitting a copy of your renewed study permit via the online MSP Account Change Request form.

• Click here for more information on how to apply for MSP
• Click here to access the online application for BC MSP
• Click here to access the MSP online Account Change Request Form to extend/update your MSP coverage

If you are a member of Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) and are enrolled in SFU’s Group MSP plan, upon termination of your employment, your group MSP account will be automatically transferred to a personal account. You will then be responsible for paying the MSP fees on your personal MSP account.

Please note that your study permit or PGWP (upon approval) must be valid for at least six months in order to extend or enroll in MSP. If you have less than six months remaining on your study permit at the time of your MSP application, you may still be eligible to enroll with MSP, provided the overall duration of your study permit is six months or longer. 

In response to COVID-19, BC MSP provides temporary MSP coverage to individuals who are currently under maintained/implied status and COVID-19 treatments for non-MSP residents. If you are currently in B.C. under maintained/implied status and your MSP has expired, you may be provided temporary MSP coverage if meeting all the criteria. Note that your study or work permit must have expired on December 1, 2020 or later. You must contact Health Insurance BC directly to request this temporary coverage which will be valid until April 30, 2022.

• Click here to review information about temporary MSP coverage during COVID-19.

If you are not eligible to extend or enroll with MSP (e.g. there is a gap in your MSP coverage), we strongly recommend that you obtain short-term private medical insurance to cover you in the interim. You may be eligible to purchase short-term medical insurance with guard. me International Insurance.

If you are currently outside of BC or you have recently returned to BC, please contact Health Insurance BC directly to inquire about your eligibility to enroll with MSP.

If you are currently covered under the undergraduate Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) Health and Dental Plan, you may continue to use your SFSS secondary insurance until August 31, 2022. You must have valid primary health coverage (e.g. BC MSP or guard.me) in order to use the secondary benefit plan.

If you wish to opt out of your SFSS secondary plan and receive a partial refund for your plan fee, you must complete an opt-out form online during the Spring 2022 Change-of-Coverage-Period.

•   Contact SFSS StudentCare for more information about the opt-out process.