Episode 65: Post Graduate Work Permit Extension

Calgary immigration lawyer Evelyn Ackah discusses the recent Post Graduate Work Permit extension (PGWP) announced by Canada's Immigration Minister, Mr. Sean Fraser. The PGWP extension is to help address Canada's labour shortage so that foreign nationals with expired or soon-expiring post-graduation work permits can work in Canada longer.

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Canada's Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) Program is an initiative that allows international students who have completed a program of study in Canada to work in the country for a specified period of time after graduation. The program is designed to provide students with valuable Canadian work experience, which can enhance their chances of obtaining permanent residence in Canada, and help Canadian employers find highly qualified foreign workers who were educated in Canada.

During the podcast, Evelyn Ackah explains the PGWP extension including:

• The program is available for individuals who have studied in Canada and were eligible for the Post-Graduate Work Permit.
• An additional 18 months will be granted to those whose work permits have expired or are still active, allowing them to continue working and gather more time in Canada.
• The extended program aims to provide an opportunity for students to apply for permanent residence in Canada.
• The program will launch on April 6th, 2023, and applications can be submitted at that time.
• Individuals who have lost their status or are currently working and want to apply for permanent residence can benefit from this program.
• It is important to note that the program only applies to individuals who attended a program or school that qualifies for permanent residence.

About Evelyn Ackah

Evelyn Ackah is the Founder and Managing Lawyer at Ackah Business Immigration Law. With offices in Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver, we work with individuals and business owners from all over the world who want to cross borders seamlessly. For more information on immigration to Canada or the United States, Ask Evelyn Ackah at Ackah Business Immigration Law today at (403) 452‑9515 or email Evelyn directly at contact@ackahlaw.com.

The Ask Canada Immigration Lawyer Evelyn Ackah podcast by Calgary Immigration Lawyer Evelyn Ackah was named #1 Best Canada Immigration Podcast in 2022 by Feedspot.

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Transcript

Evelyn Ackah:

Hi, everyone. It's Evelyn Ackah from Ackah Business Immigration Law. I'm doing a LinkedIn Live today. I wanted to share with you the fact that last week, the Immigration Minister, Mr. Sean Fraser, announced that the Post-Graduate Work Permit Program will be extended for those people who went to school in Canada and were eligible for the Post-Graduate Work Permit. Whether or not their work permits have expired or they're still active, the government is allowing an additional 18 months towards their ability to keep working so they can gather more time in Canada and be able to apply for permanent residence. So if you are a student in Canada, either have lost your status, or you're continuing to work and you know that you want to apply for permanent residence, this is going to be a great program for you. It will launch effective April 6th, 2023. You can submit your application at that time, and then you'll be allowed to continue working because you've applied for a work permit before your work permit expired, or you'll be able to extend your work permit even if it has expired.

And once you get the new work permit, you can start working. If you would like to discuss this new program with any questions you may have, feel free to contact me at Ackah Business Immigration Law. Our team would love to help you to be able to strategize around getting your postgraduate work permit extended and being able to apply for permanent residents. Please do keep in mind that this PGWP Program only applies for those who went to a program or a school that actually qualifies for permanent residence. So if you went to a program that does not allow for the Post-Graduate Work Permit, then this will not apply to you. However, if you did go to a program that had the PGWP designation, you are eligible to renew your Post-Graduate Work Permit.

Please call us at Ackah Law at the number above, and the email address if you have any questions whatsoever. This is more great news from the Canadian government. They're recognizing, if you went to school in Canada, you speak English, you are assimilated, you adapted to Canadian society, and we need foreign workers to help us grow our economy. Talk to you soon. Take care. Bye-bye.