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Free tool · PGWP field of study

PGWP eligible programs checker

Search every eligible CIP code, then see exactly which rule applies to your study permit date and credential

IRCC's field-of-study list decides whether a college diploma, certificate or non-degree program can lead to a post-graduation work permit. The list is frozen for 2026, so what you see here is what an officer will apply. Degrees and flight school are exempt; everything else must match a code below.

Check your program
1,107 eligible fields · 6 categories · list frozen for 2026IRCC list updated Jul 4, 2025
  1. 314STEM
  2. 594Health & social services
  3. 66Trades
  4. 69Education
  5. 43Agriculture & agri-food
  6. 21Transport

119 fields added June 25, 2025 · degrees and flight school exempt · updated Jul 4, 2025

Step by step

Is your program on the list?

Three answers, then a search of the official list. Free to use, no sign-up.

PGWP eligible programs finderFreeIRCC list of Jul 4, 2025Frozen for 2026

    Source: IRCC, Post-graduation work permit: currently eligible CIP codes (list updated July 4, 2025) and PGWP eligibility.

    The rules

    Five things decide a PGWP.

    The field-of-study list is only one of them. All five must line up on the day you apply.

    1. Eligible program and institution

      At least 8 months (900 hours in Quebec), full-time except a final part-time term, at a designated learning institution whose programs are PGWP-eligible. Programs under curriculum licensing that began after May 15, 2024 are out.

    2. Field of study

      Applies when the study permit application was submitted on or after November 1, 2024 and the credential is not a university degree or flight-school program. The CIP code must be on the list when either the study permit or the PGWP application was submitted.

    3. Language

      CLB/NCLC 7 for university programs, CLB/NCLC 5 for college and other non-university programs, in all four abilities, from a test less than two years old. Applies to PGWP applications submitted on or after November 1, 2024.

    4. 180 days

      Apply within 180 days of the institution confirming completion, and hold a study permit that was valid at some point during those 180 days. Use the deadline calculator.

    5. One permit, once

      A PGWP can only be issued once in a lifetime; its length follows the program length up to three years. Check yours with the length calculator.

    A sunny Canadian university walkway between glass and stone buildings, with a red scarf left on an empty bench

    2026 freeze

    Frozen for 2026.

    IRCC has committed not to add or remove eligible fields of study during 2026, so a program that qualifies today keeps qualifying for this year.

    Questions

    PGWP eligible programs, answered.

    01Which programs are eligible for a PGWP in 2026?
    Every bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree from a university, every flight-school program, and any other program (college diploma or certificate, graduate certificate, non-degree university program) whose CIP code is on IRCC's list of eligible fields of study. The list has 1,107 codes in six categories — STEM, health care and social services, trades, education, agriculture and agri-food, and transport — and IRCC has said it will not add or remove fields during 2026.
    02What is a CIP code and where do I find mine?
    The Classification of Instructional Programs code is a six-digit number (for example 11.0701 for computer science) that every designated learning institution assigns to each program. Ask the registrar or international office; it also appears on many enrolment letters. Search by code or by keyword above.
    03I applied for my study permit before November 1, 2024. Does the field-of-study rule apply to me?
    No. The requirement applies only when the study permit application was submitted on or after November 1, 2024. You still need to meet the other PGWP conditions: an eligible program of at least 8 months at an eligible institution, the 180-day filing window, and the language requirement if you apply for the PGWP on or after November 1, 2024.
    04My field was removed on June 25, 2025 — am I still eligible?
    Yes. On July 4, 2025 IRCC added back the fields it had removed on June 25, 2025, and confirmed that a field counts if it was on the list when you submitted either your study permit application or your PGWP application. The current list therefore includes every field that has been eligible since November 2024.
    05What language level do I need?
    CLB or NCLC 7 in all four abilities for university programs (degrees and any other university program) and CLB or NCLC 5 for college, polytechnic and other non-university programs, from a test taken within the last two years. Flight-school graduates have no language requirement. Use our CLB calculator to convert IELTS, CELPIP, PTE, TEF or TCF scores.
    06Does a private college program qualify?
    Only if it is a PGWP-eligible program at an eligible institution. Programs delivered by a private college under licence from a public college (curriculum licensing) are not eligible if they began after May 15, 2024 in the same province, or after January 31, 2023 in a different province.

    Keep going

    More PGWP tools.

    Next step

    Can’t find your CIP code?

    Send us the program name and institution and a licensed RCIC will confirm the code, the list status and your PGWP timeline in writing.

    Contact us today to discuss your case Run the full PGWP check

    Next on your path

    Keep your file moving.

    The checklist, free tools and guides that usually come next.

    1. GuidePost-Graduation Work PermitLength, deadlines and fields of study.
    2. ChecklistPGWP checklistGraduation proof, transcripts and the 180-day clock.
    3. GuideStudy permitsGetting in, staying in status, and what comes after.

    eligibility review

    Find out where you actually stand.

    Send a few details. A licensed RCIC reads your profile personally, then replies with the routes that genuinely fit, the ones that do not, and the consultation fee and next available times.

    1. 01Read personally by a CICC-licensed consultant
    2. 02A written shortlist of the programs you qualify for
    3. 03Fee-based; the fee and times come by reply

    CHK Immigration Services, Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (CICC). Offices in Brampton and London, Ontario. Submitting this form does not create a client–consultant relationship; IRCC makes all final decisions. Prefer to talk first? Call 647-948-7200 or book a paid consultation.