Important Changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program

By Adam Fox and Barbara McCann

The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, has announced exciting new changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program for international students. The program allows eligible students who have graduated from a post-secondary institution to gain work experience in Canada. Over 10 per cent of undergraduate students in the Faculty are international students.

New changes to the program will extend the length of a work permit from one or two years to three years and allow graduates to obtain an open work permit under the program, with no restrictions on the type of employment and no requirement for a job offer.

The flexibility offered by this program will allow more international Engineering graduates to gain important work experience locally and assist them in meeting the requirements to stay permanently in Canada. This significant step in immigration policy will help promote Canada as an attractive education destination and increase the competitiveness of Canadian industry by utilizing the very talented pool of graduates emerging from the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering.

International students wishing to verify their eligibility to apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit should contact the International Student Centre.

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