Essential Guide to PGWP 'Extension': Options and Updates for 2025

Introduction to Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)

The Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) and the work permit 'extension' are vital components for many international students like yourself in Canada, allowing you to gain Canadian work experience and maintain status after completing your studies at a designated learning institution.



Understanding the post graduation work permit and how to extend your stay in Canada after its expiry is essential for international students aiming to maintain temporary resident status and achieve your career and immigration goals in Canada.

How to Extend Your Stay in Canada After PGWP Expiration for International Students: Options and Eligibility Requirements

1. Apply to Change to Visitor Status

If you’re not ready to leave Canada and need more time to plan your next steps, you can apply to stay as a visitor after the post graduation work permit. This allows you to remain in the country legally, but you can’t work in Canada under visitor status, and you will likely lose access to health care coverage and a Canadian driver's license.

Tips for Changing from PGWP to Visitor Status

To improve your chances of approval as a visitor, make sure to clearly explain why you want to stay longer in Canada and provide evidence to support your reasons. Here are some valid reasons you could include in your application:

• You need more time to make plans for your next steps (such as preparing to return home, applying for a new study program, or organizing a future immigration application).
• You are waiting on documents or decisions from IRCC, such as a PR application, spousal sponsorship, or a new study or work permit.
• You want to travel within Canada before leaving, or visit friends and family you've made while living here.
• You’re recovering from a medical issue or need time to finish treatment.
• You’ve recently completed your program or work term and want time to wrap up personal affairs, close accounts, sell belongings, or move out.

You should also show that you have enough money to support yourself for the validity period you are requesting to stay Canada, since you won’t be allowed to work. Here are some tips:

• Include recent bank statements showing your savings (ideally 3–6 months of history).
• You can include someone else’s financial support (e.g. a family member or partner), but if you do, include a signed letter from them explaining how much they’re giving you, and attach proof of their funds (such as their bank statement).
• It may also help to show a basic budget — how much you expect to spend monthly and how your funds will cover that.

Keep the explanation honest, practical, and realistic. IRCC wants to see that you’re not trying to stay permanently without the right status, and that you’re prepared to leave Canada when the time comes.

If you don't plan on leaving Canada and re-entering, you only need to change your status to visitor and there is no need to apply for a temporary resident visa separately. Note that requesting visitor status in Canada is not the same as holding a visitor visa. Visitor status means you can stay longer. A visitor visa (TRV) is a sticker in your passport that allows you to travel to Canada.

Apply to extend your stay as a visitor before your PGWP expires to avoid losing your legal immigration status. If your PGWP has already expired, you may still be able to restore your status within 90 days, but extra fees will apply.



Note that it is possible for you to work in Canada as a visitor if you obtain a remote job working for a company that is located outside of Canada - sometimes called working in Canada as a digital nomad. This can be one way to legally continue to earn an income while in Canada as a visitor.

2. Apply for a Different Work Permit to Continue Working - the Work Permit 'Extension'

Many work permit options are available for foreign workers who have expiring PGWP work permits and want to work longer in Canada.



You can’t apply for a work permit extension of your PGWP unless it was cut short due to a passport expiry, but you might qualify for another type of work permit under a different program or a temporary policy if you meet the eligibility criteria, such as:

Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP)

If you’ve submitted a permanent residence (PR) application through Express Entry or certain PNP streams, you can apply for a bridging open work permit to keep working in Canada while you await processing of your PR application. You can learn more about the the BOWP in our article 'Understanding Bridging Open Work Permits in Canada: A Comprehensive Guide'.



The spouses and common-law partners of the bridging open work permit holders may also be eligible for work permits.

Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and LMIA Work Permit

If an employer is willing to support you with a job offer, they may apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), allowing you to apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment based closed work permit tied to that job. You can learn more about the LMIA work permit in our article 'The Ultimate Guide to LMIA-based Work Permits in Canada: A Step-by-Step Solution'.

International Mobility Program (IMP)

Some work permits are LMIA-exempt, and require less investment from your employer. The most common LMIA-exempt work permits are:

• Spousal Open Work Permit: If your spouse has a valid study or work permit, or if you are a spouse of a skilled worker or PR applicant.
• Free Trade, such as CUSMA (formerly NAFTA) Work Permit: For U.S. or Mexican citizens with qualifying job offers in certain professions. There are also other Free Trade agreements with certain other countries that you may qualify for, depending on your country of nationality.
• Reciprocal Employment Work Permit: This option may be possible for those PGWP holders who work for a multinational corporation, if that corporation has Canadians working outside of Canada.
• Francophone Mobility Work Permit: For French-speaking applicants with a job offer outside Quebec.

International Experience Canada (IEC) Work Permit

If you’re from a partner country and meet age requirements, you may qualify for a Working Holiday (open work permit) or Young Professional work permit under the IEC Work Permit Canada. The usual age range for participation is between 18-35. If you have already used your participation based on your passport, you can contact a Recognized Organization to arrange a participation through their company.

3. Apply for a New Study Permit

You can choose to return to school and apply for a new study permit if you want to further your education in Canada. This option may buy you more time in Canada and allow you to continue building your profile — but it’s important to think carefully before going down this path.

Tips for Changing from PGWP to Study Permit:

Here are some key points to consider:

• You cannot get another Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) after your second program, even if you study a PGWP eligible program at a designated learning institution with a valid study permit. The PGWP is a one-time opportunity. So obtaining a new credential may not actually help you in your quest to obtain PR in Canada.
• Depending on your new program, you may be eligible to work off-campus on your study permit (up to 20 hours/week during school and full-time during scheduled breaks), but you won’t be eligible for full-time work post-graduation unless you obtain a work permit by Employer sponsorship.
• Think about the purpose of getting another credential. How will it help you in the long run?

         Ask yourself:

• Will this additional study boost your Express Entry CRS score (e.g. by giving you more education points or language training)?
• Is it part of a strategy to eventually apply under a different immigration stream, like a provincial nominee program (PNP) for international graduates?
• Are you hoping to use the time to gain more Canadian experience, build connections, or meet a potential spouse or partner for future sponsorship?
• Is the program actually aligned with your career goals or is it just a way to stay in Canada longer?

• In order to improve the chance of approval of your new study permit, you may also need to show proof that you genuinely want to study and not just stay in Canada longer. IRCC may refuse your study permit if your intent seems unclear or doesn’t match your personal history.



Before applying for a new study permit, it’s a good idea to speak with an immigration professional or academic advisor to make sure the program will truly help you meet your long-term goals — whether that’s PR, a better career path, or more time in Canada.

4. Apply for Permanent Residency

If your goal is to stay in Canada permanently, you may be eligible for one of these permanent residence pathways, given you meet the eligibility criteria :

Express Entry System

The Express Entry system is a key pathway for eligible temporary residents to achieve permanent residency in Canada.



Upon meeting the language proficiency requirements, you can create an Express Entry profile, which assesses your eligibility based on factors like age, education, work experience, and language proficiency. You can learn more about how to improve your Express Entry score in our article 'Mastering the Canada PR & CRS Points System: A Complete Guide to Increasing Your Express Entry Score'.

A job offer from a designated employer, especially one that comes with a provincial nomination can not only help you with another work permit application, but also significantly enhance your chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence.

Understanding the Express Entry system and its requirements is vital for foreign nationals seeking to transition from temporary to permanent residence status.

The Express Entry system is a competitive process, and prospective candidates should strive to improve their ranking by gaining Canadian work experience, studying for language tests and enhancing their language skills (English and French), and securing a job offer.

The Express Entry system includes several programs for permanent residency, including:

• Federal Skilled Worker
• Canadian Experience Class
• Federal Skilled Trade

Once you are invited to apply for PR and you have submitted your PR application, you may be eligible for a bridging open work permit.

Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

Canadian government authorizes each provincial or territorial authority to have their own provincial nominee programs, to better meet the needs of individual province.

If nominated, you can often apply for a work permit with a provincial support letter before becoming a permanent resident.



If you’ve studied in Canada, it may be worth looking into provincial nominee programs (PNPs). Some provinces have special immigration streams for graduates who studied locally, especially if you attended a post-secondary school in that province. These programs often prioritize applicants with Canadian education, local work experience, or ties to the community.

For example, British Columbia, Ontario, and Alberta all have PNP streams for international graduates. Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Saskatchewan offer pathways for those who studied and worked in the province. Even smaller provinces like Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador have options for graduates in certain occupations or priority areas.

The details vary by province — some focus on tech or healthcare, others on rural development or skilled trades. If you’re considering further education, choosing a program in a province with favorable PNP pathways might help with your long-term immigration plans.

Quebec Immigration

Quebec has its own separate immigration programs, which is not part of the provincial nomination system.

Atlantic Immigration Program

The Atlantic Immigration Program is a federal immigration program designed by Canadian government to attract and retain newcomers in the Atlantic region. It helps employers in these provinces hire foreign workers and international graduates who want to settle in Atlantic Canada.

Family Sponsorship

If you’re married to or in a common-law relationship with a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, they may be eligible to sponsor you for PR through family sponsorship.



During the process, you may be eligible for an open work permit as well.

Key Takeaways - How to Stay in Canada as a Foreign National after PGWP Expiry

Technically, you can’t apply for a work permit extension to 'extend' your PGWP unless your passport expiry meant that your original work permit validity period was shortened. If this was the case, you can extend your PGWP with your new passport to the full length that you were entitled to receive, based on the length of your studies.

However, after the current work permit expires, foreign nationals have several options to extend their valid status and continue working in Canada.

If you want to remain in Canada, you should extend your status before your current work permit expires, or you risk falling out of status, which requires strategic planning.

• Extend as a visitor: You can apply for visitor visa or visitor record post-PGWP for various reasons, including exploring Canada as a tourist.
• Extend your worker status with a new work permit: Many work permit options exist, but they depend on your eligibility and employer support. This could be an open work permit or an employer-specific work permit.
• Extend your stay with a study permit: You can apply for a new study permit if you're eligible.
• Canada permanent residence application, and a bridging open work permit to extend your temporary status if necessary.

International students should be aware of the various options and application processes to extend their stay, minimize disruptions to their career development and maintain their valid status in Canada, and may benefit from advice from licensed immigration consultants, especially when it comes to extending their stay as temporary residents and permanent residency strategies.

At The Way Immigration, we are here to assist you to extend your stay beyond your PGWP. Our team of Canadian immigration consultants can help you choose the best path and navigate the application process. Invest in your future - contact us today and book your consultation with our team of licensed immigration consultants at our immigration Calgary office.