Post-Graduation Work Permit
For graduates of eligible Canadian programs. One-time only, with a strict 180-day deadline.
PGWP
New rule
Employer-specific work permit? Since 17 September 2026 IRCC applies four genuineness tests to every job offer, LMIA or not.
Check your offerWork permits · Canada
Every route toworking in Canada.Canada work permits 2026
There are only two kinds of work permit — employer-specific and open — but more than a dozen routes into them. Choosing the wrong one costs months.
- RCIC-led
- Brampton & London
- LMIA & LMIA-exempt
Two kinds of permit. More than a dozen routes in.
Which one you take decides who you can work for, how fast you start, and the Canadian experience you can count toward permanent residence.
The basics
One job, or almost any job.
Every work permit is one of two kinds. Hover or tap to open each one, then jump to its routes.
7 routesEmployer-specific
Names the employer, the role and the location. Working outside those terms is a breach of your conditions. Some need an LMIA; many are exempt.
See employer-specific routes ↓
8 routesOpen
Lets you work for almost any employer in Canada, not tied to a job offer — but only available in defined situations, and mostly from inside Canada.
See open routes ↓2 typesEmployer-specific ties you to one job; open lets you work almost anywhere.
LMIA-exemptMany of the strongest routes need no labour market impact assessment.
Maintained statusApplying before expiry generally lets you keep working while you wait.
Bridge to PRCanadian work experience is the strongest input into Express Entry.
Permit finder
Which work permit fits you?
Most applicants qualify under more than one route, and they are not equal. Answer three questions and your route prints on the pass.
Where are you now?
Do you have a job offer?
Which best describes you?
All routes
Browse every work permit route.
Filter by type. Each route has its own rules, timelines and cost — and some are far faster than others.
Spousal Open Work Permit
For eligible spouses and partners of certain workers and students. The 2025 rules narrowed eligibility.
SOWPBridging Open Work Permit
Keep working while your permanent residence application is processed, once you reach a qualifying stage.
BOWPVulnerable Worker Permit
Free and expedited, for workers on employer-specific permits facing abuse at work.
Get helpFrancophone Mobility (C16)
LMIA-exempt for French speakers with a job offer outside Quebec. NCLC 5 in speaking and listening only.
C16International Experience Canada
Working Holiday, Young Professionals and International Co-op for eligible youth aged 18 to 35.
IECRefugee Claimant Work Permit
Claimants awaiting a decision can generally apply for an open permit, usually fee-exempt.
ClaimantsFamily of workers & students
Spouses and, in some cases, dependants of certain permit holders may be authorised to work.
Open permitsCo-op work permit
Required where a Canadian study program includes a mandatory work placement.
LMIA-based work permit
Your employer obtains a labour market impact assessment. Recruitment, wage and compliance rules apply.
LMIA permitGlobal Skills Strategy
Two-week processing for eligible high-skilled roles where the employer and occupation qualify.
Free trade agreements & transfers
CUSMA, CETA and intra-company transfers allow LMIA-exempt work for qualifying roles.
Caregivers & home care workers
Home care work follows its own dedicated streams and instructions.
CaregiversSeasonal agricultural workers
The seasonal agricultural worker program has its own process and employer obligations.
Doctors & healthcare specialists
Faster processing exists for medical doctors and certain healthcare specialists.
Before you choose
What actually decides your route.
- LMIA
Whether an LMIA is genuinely required
Many applicants assume they need one when an exemption applies. Establishing exemption early saves months and thousands in employer cost.
- Location
Where you are applying from
Most open permits cannot be obtained from outside Canada, which changes the realistic options considerably.
- Status
Your current status and its expiry
Applying before expiry generally preserves your right to work. Letting status lapse turns a simple filing into restoration.
- TEER
The occupation and its TEER level
Skill level drives spousal eligibility, PR pathways and in some cases the permit route itself.
- Employer
Employer compliance obligations
Employer-specific permits carry an inspection regime. Employers should understand it before they hire.
- PR plan
How the permit feeds your PR plan
The permit you take now determines the Canadian experience you can claim later. Choose with PR in mind.
2026 updates
Two changes worth knowing about.
A new way to study without a study permit, and a 90-day hold that keeps LMIA-dependent extensions alive.
You can now study for six months without a study permit.
- Who it covers
- Anyone holding a valid work permit, open or employer-specific, whose program of study runs six months or less. There is no application and no fee, and your work permit is the only proof a college can ask for. Study-related conditions printed on the permit — the “not authorized to study” line — stop applying, and no CAQ is needed in Quebec. The measure runs to 31 December 2027.
- The Express Entry cost
- Study full time under this policy and the work you do during those studies will not count toward Canadian Experience Class eligibility, or toward Canadian work experience points under the CRS. If a co-op placement is attached and the employer or occupation differs from your current one, you also need a second work permit before it starts. Read the full breakdown →
Work permit extensions: the 90-day LMIA hold.
- What changed
- Where an in-Canada extension is eligible for concurrent processing — filed while the employer’s LMIA is still pending — IRCC holds the application for 90 days from the date it was received rather than refusing it. The hold gives ESDC time to decide the LMIA before IRCC makes a final decision.
- Who it covers
- Applicants in Canada whose current work permit expires within two weeks of filing, where the employer has already submitted a complete LMIA application to ESDC with enough advance notice for it to be decided inside the window.
- Why it matters
- Without the hold, an extension filed before the LMIA arrived would simply be refused, pushing an otherwise sound application into restoration and a loss of work authorisation.
- What it does not change
- You still have to file before your current permit expires — that is what preserves maintained status. And a work permit application received after the LMIA validity date has already passed is still refused, so the LMIA has to be live when you file.
Source: IRCC Temporary Foreign Worker Program guidance on work permit validity and duration of employment (canada.ca). Reviewed August 2026. Extending from inside Canada? See the work permit extension page and temporary resident extensions; employers start with the LMIA guide.
Good to know
Questions, answered.
Do I need an LMIA for a Canadian work permit?
Only for LMIA-based, employer-specific permits. Many routes are LMIA-exempt: open permits such as the PGWP, bridging and spousal open work permits and IEC, and employer-specific exemptions such as Francophone Mobility (C16), free trade agreements and intra-company transfers.
What is the difference between an open and an employer-specific work permit?
An open work permit lets you work for almost any employer in Canada and is not tied to a job offer. An employer-specific permit names the employer, the role and the location, and working outside those terms is a breach of your conditions.
What is the 90-day LMIA hold for work permit extensions?
Where an in-Canada extension is eligible for concurrent processing, the LMIA and the extension can move together, but the work permit application must still be filed before the current permit expires to preserve maintained status, and the LMIA must still be valid on the day you file.
Can my spouse work in Canada while I work or study?
Sometimes. Spouses and, in some cases, dependants of certain workers and students can apply for a spousal open work permit, but the 2025 rules narrowed eligibility by occupation and program — check the current criteria before planning around it.
Every common question — eligibility, documents, timing, fees and processing — is answered and updated in one place. Visit the Help Centre →
Work permit help
Not sure which route is yours?
Every situation has a best route and several worse ones. A licensed RCIC will identify all of them, then tell you which one actually serves your plans.
Related services
Explore your other options.
General information only, not legal advice, and current as of July 2026. Rules, fees and processing times change — confirm current requirements on canada.ca before filing. Contacting us does not create a client–consultant relationship until a written retainer is signed. IRCC makes all final decisions.
Confidential · fee-exempt · nobody is contacted
Is your permit tied to an employer who is treating you badly?
An employer-specific permit can make leaving feel impossible. It is not. There is a permit built for this situation — free, prioritised, and your employer is never asked for permission.
In immediate danger? Call 911.
Press Esc twice to leave instantly.
Work permit review
Which work permit are you actually eligible for?
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.
- 01Read personally by a CICC-licensed consultant
- 02A written shortlist of the programs you qualify for
- 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.