COVID-19 - The Impact on International Students and their Eligibility for a Post Graduate Work Permit
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COVID-19, online classes, and your eligibility for a Post Graduate Work Permit.
International students in Canada may be eligible for a Post Graduate Work Permit for up to three years once they complete their studies. A Post Graduate Work Permit enables them to gain Canadian work experience, which may help them qualify for Canadian permanent residence.
International students must be continuously enrolled in full-time studies at a designated learning institute in Canada in a program that is at least 8 months in length in order to be eligible for a Post Graduate Work Permit. Completing the program, or a portion of the program, online may render that student ineligible for the Post Graduate Work Permit.
However, due to COVID-19, colleges and universities in Canada have had to cancel classes and instead are now forced to teach online. As a result, one of the measures that the Canadian government has announced is that the international student’s eligibility for the Post-Graduation Work Permit will not be affected if in-class courses are being moved to an online-only format due to COVID-19. This includes students who have a study permit or who have been approved for a study permit for a program starting in May or June 2020 but who are unable to travel to Canada at this time due to travel restrictions. If the international student cannot travel to Canada sooner, they may begin their classes and complete up to 50% of their program online while outside Canada.
