Canada just made it harder for international students to get work permits

Canada has made another change to work permit eligibility for international students.

Starting Thursday, June 26, international students in Canada in non-degree programs for 178 fields of study will no longer be eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP).

According to an announcement by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), these fields of study were cut because they are no longer linked to jobs in long-term labour shortages.

While several were slashed, the federal government added 119 new fields of study in key sectors, including healthcare, social services, education, and trades.

This update has resulted in 920 fields of study eligible for a PGWP.

You can check if your area of study is still eligible in Canada on the post-grad work permit site.

Students who applied for a study permit before June 25, 2025, will still be eligible for a PGWP if their field of study was on the list when they applied for their permit, regardless of whether it has since been removed.

Last year, the IRCC announced changes to the eligibility criteria for PGWPs. Effective Nov. 1, 2024, graduating students in Canada applying for a work permit will only be eligible if they graduated from a list of approved programs.

It updated the PGWP once again in March, allowing graduates from university bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs to no longer have to meet the field-of-study requirement. Removing these restrictions makes it easier for students to obtain a work permit upon graduation.

The latest update follows Ottawa's announcement of the new 2025 Express Entry categories earlier this year.

The IRCC stated that it would conduct category-based invitation rounds for workers under new categories, including healthcare and social services, trades, and education. Check out the detailed list.

Ottawa added that for 2025, the federal economic class draws will focus on inviting candidates with work experience in Canada (Canadian Experience Class) to apply for permanent residence.