IRCC freezes list of PGWP-eligible fields of study for 2026

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will not be updating its current list of educational programs that are eligible for the post-graduation work permit (PGWP) in 2026.

IRCC confirmed the freeze in a website update posted on January 15, 2026.

That means that no fields of study will be added or removed for the rest of the year.

The government had previously indicated in 2025 that they would overhaul the eligible programs in "early 2026."

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In 2024, IRCC introduced a field-of-study requirement for some post-secondary graduates applying for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). Under this rule, *some international students must have completed an educational program linked to occupations facing long-term labour shortages to qualify for a PGWP.

A PGWP is an open work permit that allows eligible graduates to work in Canada and gain Canadian work experience—often an important step for those pursuing permanent residence.

*The field-of-study requirement generally applies to programs below the bachelor's level, such as certificate-level credentials. Students who graduate with a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree are exempt from the field-of-study requirement for a PGWP.

What the 2026 freeze means for students?

For prospective international students planning to study and work in Canada, the freeze provides added certainty about which programs can lead to a PGWP after graduation.

At present, IRCC’s list includes 1,107 PGWP-eligible educational programs. These largely fall within sectors such as:

Healthcare and social services;
Education;
Trades;
Agriculture;
STEM; and
Transport.

Graduates of college and other non-degree programs should confirm their program is included on the eligible list if they intend to apply for a PGWP.

How can I check which educational programs are included in the field of study requirements?

Students from a non-degree programs must check IRCC’s list of eligible Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes before submitting a study permit application, or PGWP application.

A CIP code is a six-digit number used to classify post-secondary programs by discipline.

You can find a complete list of eligible CIP codes that are eligible for a PGWP here.

Background: PGWP changes announced in 2025

In June 2025, IRCC announced it would revise which educational programs could lead to a PGWP. Following those changes, 119 new fields of study became eligible, while 178 were removed.

In July, the government paused the removal of programs from PGWP eligibility until the next update to the list, which it signalled would come in "early 2026." That means all the 178 programs that were "removed" in June 2025 were still eligible for the rest of 2025. Since the list has been frozen for 2026, they will continue to be eligible until the end of the year.

After the 2025 revisions, the list of PGWP-eligible programs increased from 920 to 1,107.

Schedule a Free PGWP Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm