Canada overhauls eligible fields of study for post-graduation work permits
The Canadian government has made changes to which educational programs can lead to a work permit upon graduation.
On 25 June, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) made substantial changes to the eligible fields of study for Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP), in order to reflect updated labour market demands in 2025.
Students in 119 new fields of study are now eligible for a PGWP, while 178 fields of study have been removed from eligibility.
Note: As of 4 July, these changes have been postponed. Read our article on this change for more.
Schedule a Free PGWP Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm
This change applies to international students who:
- Are enrolled in non-degree programs (programs that do not lead to a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree); and
- Applied for their study permit on or after 1 November 2024.
Students who submitted their study permit application before June 25, 2025, are grandfathered: they will remain eligible for a PGWP as long as their field of study was on the approved PGWP-eligible list at the time of application, even if it has been removed since.
What changes have been made to the eligible fields of study?
As of this update, there are now 920 PGWP-eligible fields of study.
Notably, IRCC has completely removed educational programs in Transport from the current list of PGWP-eligible programs, and has left only one educational program in the Agriculture and Agri-food field among those still eligible.
Newly eligible educational programs are directly related to occupations in key sectors of the Canadian economy that have experienced persistent labour market shortages. By the same logic, the 178 now-ineligible fields of study have been removed because the occupations they are linked to are no longer experiencing labour shortages.
The 119 newly added educational programs are in fields of study such as:
- Healthcare and social services;
- Education; and
- Trades.
Programs in the Education field of study are a completely new addition to the PGWP-eligible fields of study.
The tables below provide examples of educational programs (and their associated Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) code) that have been added and removed from PGWP eligibility for each field of study.
Note that this is not an exhaustive list of programs added or removed.
Agriculture and Agri-Food programs
The following educational programs are no longer PGWP-eligible:
| Program name | CIP Code |
|---|---|
| Agriculture, general | 01.0000 |
| Agricultural business and management, general | 01.0101 |
| Farm/farm and ranch management | 01.0104 |
| Agricultural power machinery operation | 01.0204 |
| Crop production | 01.0304 |
No educational programs have been added to PGWP eligibility for this field of study.
Education programs
No educational programs have been removed from PGWP eligibility for this field of study.
The following educational programs are now PGWP-eligible:
| Program name | CIP code |
|---|---|
| French language/French language arts teacher education | 13.1325 |
| Biology teacher education | 13.1322 |
| Computer teacher education | 13.1321 |
| Chemistry teacher education | 13.1323 |
| Drama and dance teacher education | 13.1324 |
Healthcare and social services programs
The following healthcare and social services programs are no longer PGWP-eligible:
| Program name | CIP code |
|---|---|
| Bilingual, multilingual and multicultural education, other | 13.0299 |
| Multicultural education | 13.0202 |
| Indigenous education | 13.0203 |
| College student counselling and personnel services | 13.1102 |
| Student counselling and personnel services, other | 13.1199 |
The following healthcare and social services programs are now PGWP-eligible:
| Program name | CIP code |
|---|---|
| Veterinary medicine (DVM) | 01.8001 |
| Veterinary/animal health technology/technician and veterinary assistant | 01.8301 |
| Dentistry (DDS, DMD) | 51.0401 |
| Dental clinical sciences, general (MS, MSc, PhD) | 51.0501 |
| Oral biology and oral and maxillofacial pathology (MS, MSc, PhD) | 51.0503 |
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs
The following STEM programs are no longer PGWP-eligible:
| Program name | CIP code |
|---|---|
| Agricultural and extension education services | 01.0801 |
| Natural resources/conservation, general | 03.0101 |
| Environmental studies | 03.0103 |
| Water, wetlands and marine resources management | 03.0205 |
| Environmental/natural resources management and policy, other | 03.0299 |
The following STEM programs are now PGWP-eligible:
| Program name | CIP code |
|---|---|
| Architecture (BArch, BA, BS, BSc, MArch, MA, MS, MSc, DArch, PhD) | 04.0201 |
| Advanced architectural design (MArch, MA, MS, MSc, DArch, PhD) | 04.0202 |
| Landscape architecture (BS, BSc, BSLA, BLA, MSLA, MLA, PhD) | 04.0601 |
Trade programs
The following trade programs are no longer PGWP-eligible:
| Program name | CIP code |
|---|---|
| Solar energy technology/technician | 15.1703 |
| Electrical and power transmission installation/installer, general | 46.0301 |
| Building/property maintenance | 46.0401 |
| Building/home/construction inspection/inspector | 46.0403 |
| Drywall installation/drywaller | 46.0404 |
The following trade programs are now PGWP-eligible:
| Program name | CIP code |
|---|---|
| Construction management, general | 52.2001 |
| Construction project management | 52.2002 |
| Diver, professional and instructor | 49.0304 |
| Cabinetmaking and millwork | 48.0703 |
| Computer numerically controlled (CNC) machinist technology/CNC machinist | 48.0510 |
Transport programs
The following trade programs are no longer PGWP-eligible:
| Program name | CIP code |
|---|---|
| Public transportation and infrastructure planning/studies | 44.0403 |
| Airframe mechanics and aircraft maintenance technology/technician | 47.0607 |
| Engine machinist | 47.0615 |
| Marine maintenance/fitter and ship repair technology/technician | 47.0616 |
| High performance and custom engine technician/mechanic | 47.0617 |
No educational programs have been added to PGWP eligibility for this field of study.
A full updated list of the PGWP-eligible fields of study can be found here.
The link between PGWP-eligible fields of study and Express Entry categories
Both PGWP-eligible fields of study and Express Entry categories are regulated by IRCC, with a close focus on Canada's labour market.
While PGWP-eligible fields of study help the immigration department prioritize students at the non-degree level who meet labour market demands for work permits, Express Entry categories allow IRCC to prioritize immigration candidates who meet labour market demands for permanent residence (PR) selection.
Due to this link, changes in Express Entry categories, as were observed in February of this year, tend to mirror changes in PGWP-eligible fields of study. This holds true for today's changes, which directly mimic the added occupations to Express Entry's priority categories.
What other requirements need to be met to obtain a PGWP?
Regardless of whether the field of study requirement applies, all students who wish to obtain a PGWP upon graduating must meet language proficiency requirements, according to their level of study:
| Level of study | Language requirements | Field of study requirements |
|---|---|---|
| College bachelor's degree programs | English or French language proficiency equivalent to a level 7 CLB/NCLC in all four language abilities. | N/A |
| University bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral programs | English or French language proficiency equivalent to a level 7 CLB/NCLC in all four language abilities. | N/A |
| University programs not listed above | English or French language proficiency equivalent to a level 7 CLB/NCLC in all four language abilities. | Must have graduated from an eligible field of study. |
| College program or other non-university program | English or French language proficiency equivalent to a level 5 CLB/NCLC in all four language abilities. | Must have graduated from an eligible field of study. |
Graduates of PGWP-eligible flight schools do not need to meet field of study requirements.
Schedule a Free PGWP Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm
- Do you need Canadian immigration assistance? Contact the Contact Cohen Immigration Law firm by completing our form
- Send us your feedback or your non-legal assistance questions by emailing us at media@canadavisa.com
