New PGWP Rules for Students Studying Abroad During Pandemic

Greetings!

IRCC has just announced new Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) eligibility rules for students who are applying for study permits abroad. These provisions are especially important to students who are applying to Canadian study programs and are not able to travel to Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic due to travel bans. Here are the specifics:

• If you receive a study permit, started a program between May and September 2020 and the program is 8 -12 months in length, you will be eligible for a PGWP even if all of your studies are completed online outside of Canada. In addition, you can complete a second program inside Canada and combine the time you spent for both programs for your PGWP.
• If you receive a study permit and your program is more than 12 months in length, you can study online outside of Canada until April 30, 2021 and all of that time will be counted towards your PGWP as long as at least half of your total program is completed inside Canada.

Note: For the upcoming academic year, as long as you have submitted your study permit application, you can start studying and have that period of time count towards the PGWP even if you do not have your study permit approval yet (as long as your study permit is eventually approved).

For continued updates, please visit our Covid-19 Immigration Update Page here and follow us on Social Media.

To book a consultation with one of our lawyers to discuss your situation, please contact us at (416) 548-9101, or by email at inquiries@lmlawgroup.com.

Yours truly,

The Team at Long Mangalji LLP