Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that it won’t add or remove any eligible fields of study for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) in 2026.
The PGWP allows students who have graduated from eligible schools to gain Canadian work experience.
Depending on the applicant’s study program, there may be field of study requirements.
To qualify for the PGWP, applicants graduating from a university program other than a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, or from any other college, polytechnic or non-university program, must graduate in an eligible field of study.
Eligible fields of study are linked to certain jobs in long-term shortage in Canada and can change based on the needs of the Canadian labor market. IRCC has confirmed that the list will not be amended in 2026.
If the field of study is not on the list of currently eligible Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes when the candidate applies for a PGWP, it may still be eligible based on when they submitted their study permit application.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to monitor developments and share updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions.