Canada’s new work permit rules may disqualify 67,000 international grads

A significant number of international graduates—around 67,000 out of 105,030—who received work permits this year may not qualify under new rules if they pursued studies outside designated fields.

This is due to new regulations for work permits that became effective in November 2024.

The number of international graduates who may not qualify for a work permit this year was extrapolated from a report by The Toronto Star which indicates that 64 percent of the 105,030 postgraduate work permits were awarded to international graduates from colleges.

Business studies graduates represented 42 percent of these permits, while STEM fields accounted for 37 percent, and computing and IT for 16%l percent. Only 1 percent of permits were granted to graduates in skilled trades.

Under the new work permit rules, foreign students must focus on specific fields of study to qualify for Canada’s post-graduation work permit (PGWP).

New PGWP rules require specific fields of study.

Students who apply for or already hold study permits before the new regulations take effect will still be eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) under the existing rules. However, those applying on or after this date will face stricter requirements, including the necessity to pursue specific fields of study to qualify for the PGWP.

Graduates from degree programmes offered by universities are exempt from these new restrictions. They will continue to qualify for PGWPs of up to three years without needing to meet any field-specific criteria.

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) therefore released a list of 966 eligible academic programmes to this effect which all fall under five broad categories: agriculture and agri-food, healthcare, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), skilled trades, and transportation. According to the updated guidelines, only students graduating from these specified areas of study at the college level will be eligible for the work permit.

These changes highlight the increasing need for international students to carefully consider their fields of study to ensure eligibility for work permits in Canada.

Unclear criteria for eligible programmes list sparks objections.

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) also released a list of 966 eligible academic programmes, which all fall under five broad categories: agriculture and agri-food, healthcare, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), skilled trades, and transportation. According to the updated guidelines, only students graduating from these specified areas of study at the college level will be eligible for the work permit.

The criteria used to compile the list of eligible programmes remain unclear. Regardless, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) suggested that it will be based on long-term labour shortages within the Canadian economy, akin to the criteria used in the Express Entry category-based selection process.

An IRCC spokesperson also mentioned that the policy was developed with input from a variety of stakeholders, including provinces, territories, and other partners.

These new rules have however prompted strong objections from within the education sector, which argues that the changes could limit opportunities for international students.

Marketa Evans, the president and CEO of Colleges Ontario, voiced her dissatisfaction in an open letter to Marc Miller, IRCC minister, on September 27.

“We are very concerned about the lack of consultation with provinces and the use of national labour market information to inform what local employers need,” she wrote. Evans called on the federal government to engage in discussions with the provinces to align the new policy with regional employment needs.”

This sentiment was echoed by Pari Johnston, president & CEO of Colleges and Institutes Canada. ICEF Monitor, a market intelligence resource, stated that the new rules unfairly target public colleges by demanding they align their programmes with national labour market needs, which may not reflect local demands.

“Ottawa’s decision to align programmes with national needs creates a fundamental disconnect between the pressing needs of local labour markets and the essential contributions of skilled international graduates,” Johnston said, as reported by ICEF Monitor.