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Canada needs immigrants to grow its population. And there’s good news for students: foreign learners and people with a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) are some of the most important propellers of the country’s population growth.
So how does a PGWP work? In this guide, we cover what you need to know. You’ll learn about who’s eligible, how much it costs, and most importantly, how long you can stay in the country after graduation to gain Canadian work experience.
The PGWP lets international students who have graduated from an eligible designated learning institution to stay in Canada and work for up to three years. Not surprisingly, the program is a big draw to work and study in Canada for international students – and it’s grown in popularity over the last several years.
Just take a look at the numbers: between 2005 and 2016, the amount of permits issued to new graduates increased by 15 times – from 7,400 to 117,700 per year. By 2018, 143,000 permits were issued. And in the first quarter of 2021, PGWPs increased 160% year-over-year.
The PGWP is an open work permit, which means you can work for any employer in Canada. You also don’t need a job offer to apply. The length of your PGWP depends on how long you’ve studied in Canada. For example, if your program was:
Under 8 months, you won’t be eligible for a PGWP.
Less than 2 years, you may get a permit for the same amount of time as you studied (for example if your program was one year, you might get a permit for one year).
More than 2 years, you could be eligible for a 3-year permit.
If you studied more than 1 program, you may also get a PGWP that combines the length of each program.
To be eligible for a PGWP, you need to meet a number of criteria. For example, you need to have graduated from a program that was at least 8 months long at a designated learning institution – and have earned a degree, diploma, or certificate from that.
International students who were approved for a study permit and are studying online outside Canada due to the pandemic are also eligible for a PGWP.
However, people who’ve only studied English or French as a second language in Canada are not.
For a full list of criteria, make sure to check out the Government of Canada website.
Before you begin the application process, you need to have proof that you’ve completed your studies. You need to show either:
An official letter from your institution
An official transcript
A degree or diploma
After you’ve got one of these, you need to apply for a PGWP within 180 days.
Instructions for exactly how to apply depending on whether you’re applying from inside or outside Canada. You can find the step-by-step instructions on the Government of Canada website – including an official guide and a document checklist.
It costs $255 CAD to apply for a PGWP. Processing times differ, but it can take up to 73 days to be approved on average. However, the good news is that many graduates can work while they’re waiting on a decision.
Being able to work and study in Canada for international students around the world is often a dream come true. However if you’re not eligible for a PGWP, you do have some other visa options.
This type of work permit allows you to work for a certain amount of time for a specific employer. You might be eligible for this if you’ve gotten a job to be a researcher at a university, or a charitable worker at an NGO, for example.
Canada has a tool to help you learn more about what type of work permit you could be eligible for. You can check it out here.
If you’ve worked full-time for 12 months after graduation in a skilled trade, a professional job that requires a degree, or a management-level job, you could be eligible for permanent residence.
PTE Academic is completed on a computer, including the speaking part of the test.
So make sure you are prepared by familiarizing yourself with the equipment you will use during your test. Reading these test tips and you will be fully prepared.
There are many ways you can improve your chances of gaining points in Part 2: Reading during PTE Academic.
To improve your reading skills, practice increasing your reading speed and comprehension at the same time. In turn, you will improve your writing, grammar and vocabulary skills.
To do well in this part of the test, you need to be able to read quickly, using effective reading strategies, as there is a limited time to answer all questions.
Speed reading tasks will help improve your reading speed. Practice speed reading every day and:
Aim to be reading at least 220 words per minute
Reading short articles of around 300 words
Read often for short periods of time
You can also try this as a challenge with your friends to help keep motivated. Once you are happy with your comprehension and speed, focus on chunks (groups of words) rather than individual words.
When your reading skills reach a level you are happy with, you will feel more confident to answer the questions.
In the Multiple-Choice, Single Answer question type, some test takers make the mistake of scan reading and matching the words in the text to the words in the answer. Generally, the words in the text are not used in the correct answer, therefore it is important to learn how to use synonyms and paraphrasing as it will be used in the test.
Learn how to improve your grammar in our Reading: Core Skills part 1 article.
In this question type, you will need more time than in the Multiple-Choice, Choose Single Answer question type, as you need to intensively read the stem (the part before the options) as well as the options, then scan read the text on the screen until you find the part of the text that contains information that was in the stem.
Read the options very carefully and match the meaning of the option with the text. Do not match the words – this is something test takers may make errors with.
You should also make sure not to choose all the options since you lose one point for each incorrect choice. However, you cannot score below zero.
To do well in the Re-order Paragraphs questions, you will need to have a strong understanding of cohesive devices and how they work. You will also need to understand how articles work, as well as the logical and chronological order of information.
In this question type, skim-read the text to get the ideas of the topic of the text. From there, you should read all the sentences carefully.
For both Fill in the Blanks and Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks question types, you will need to understand a range of vocabulary, collocations, grammar, pronouns, and cohesive devices, as well as being able to identify when plural nouns are needed.
You will also need to be able to skim read to get an idea of the meaning of the text, then read intensively before and after each blank. If unsure, you should guess based on the context.
Make sure you do not leave any spaces blank. You do not need to correctly fill in all spaces to get points.
To go back and review the question types within the reading test, we suggest learning more about the reading questions.
Explore Smart Prep, which combines all our practice materials in one place, so it's easier for you to stay on track with your PTE preparation.
Smart Prep is a clear path to test day, guiding you through the official paid and free resources available for your test
It can be accessed whether you’ve booked a test or not – just create, or sign in to your myPTE account
Preparation materials include guided practice tests, introductory videos, video courses and test tips.
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Do you have your heart set on studying in England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland? The UK is a wonderful place to live and learn, but you’ll most likely need to get a UK study visa before you start packing your bags.
This comprehensive guide covers who needs a UK student visa, the requirements for getting one, how to apply, how much it costs, and how long it takes.
If you’re an international student hoping to study in the UK, you’ll most likely need a student visa. The only exceptions are nationals of Switzerland and countries in the European Economic Area (EEA), who don’t need a visa to enter the UK. *
* Please note: The outcome of Brexit may alter this after 2020. Check the UK government’s website for up-to-date information about this.
There are several UK study visa requirements you’ll need to meet to successfully apply. These include:
You’ve been offered a place in a full-time course from an eligible university (i.e. the school must be a licensed Student route visa*Tier 4 sponsors)
You can understand English (both written and spoken)
You have enough funds to support yourself and any dependants, while also paying for the course.
These requirements apply to students from all over the world. This means the UK student visa requirements for Indian students and American students are exactly the same for Chinese students and Australian students (and so on).
