Graduates of an Associate of Arts degree (any concentration) or Associate of Science degree (any concentration) program from Alexander College are eligible to apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). The PGWP program provides an opportunity for graduates to obtain a work permit and to remain in Canada and enter the workforce for a period of up to three years.
The following requirements are taken directly from the IRCC website: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/work/after-graduation.html
The following are general eligibility requirements for the PGWP:
You have up to 180 days to apply for a PGWP after you get your
- degree or diploma
- transcript or
- official letter from your school
To be eligible, your study permit must have been valid at some point during these 180 days.
Don’t let your status expire while you wait for your [credential]. [Processing time for an Application for Graduation from Alexander College is approximately 6 weeks]
If your study permit will expire before you [are awarded your credential], you have 2 options. You can
If you stay in Canada and let your permit expire, you must apply to restore your status as a student to apply for your PGWP. To restore your status, you must pay additional fees.
You can apply for a PGWP if
- your study permit has been valid within the last 180 days
- you have a valid visitor record
- you submitted an application to extend your study permit before it expired and no decision has been made on your application
- you submitted an application to change your status to visitor before your study permit expired and no decision has been made on your application
You must also have
- completed a study program
- maintained full-time status as a student in Canada during each semester of your study program
- This doesn’t include your final semester, which can be part-time, or if you took an approved leave from your studies.
- If you had to stop studying or change to part-time studies between March 2020 and the fall semester in 2020 because of reasons related to COVID-19, you may still be eligible for a PGWP.
- graduated from one of the following:
- a public post-secondary school, such as a college, trade/technical school, university or CEGEP (in Quebec)
- a private post-secondary school in Quebec that operates under the same rules as public schools in Quebec
- a private secondary or post-secondary school in Quebec that offers qualifying programs of 900 hours or longer that lead to a Diplôme d’études professionnelles (DEP—vocational studies diploma), or an Attestation de spécialisation professionnelle (ASP—vocational studies accreditation)
- An ASP can be less than 900 hours if combined with a DEP.
- a Canadian private school that can award degrees under provincial law (for example, Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree), but only if you’re enrolled in a study program that leads to a degree as authorized by the province.
Exceptions to the eligibility requirements
You aren’t eligible for a PGWP if you
- have a study permit that expired more than 180 days before you applied
- already received a PGWP
- studied English or French as a second language
- took general interest or self-improvement courses
- participated in the Government of Canada Awards Program funded by Global Affairs Canada
- had received funding from Global Affairs Canada
- Note: If you got a Study in Canada scholarship, you’re still eligible for a PGWP.
- got the Equal Opportunity Scholarship, Canada-Chile
- participated in the Canada-China Scholars’ Exchanges Program
- participated in the Organization of American States Fellowships Program
- completed the major part of a study program through distance learning (online courses, e-learning or correspondence)
- completed a study program at a non-Canadian institution located in Canada