My work permit is expiring soon: Is it worth starting a study program in Canada?

If your work authorization is soon to expire, going back to school may help your chances of remaining and settling in Canada permanently—especially if you have already qualified for a permanent residence (PR) stream or pathway, and submitted an Expression of Interest (EOI).

However, beginning a study program as a former worker in Canada brings new legal requirements and obligations that must be followed to avoid violating the terms of your stay in the country.

This article will examine reasons for and against starting a study program to remain in Canada as a current work permit holder in Canada, and how this move can impact your chances of getting PR in 2026.

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A quick summary of main points—when studying is a strong move vs. a risky move

Transitioning to a study program tends to be a strong strategy if:

You’ve already qualified for a PR pathway;
The credential clearly and meaningfully improves your CRS score (even in the face of potentially losing points for age) and/or job prospects;
You’re targeting a specific province and graduate streams; or
You need a clean way to maintain legal status while continuing PR planning.

Transitioning to a study program can be risky if:

You must work full-time to survive financially;
You are not yet eligible for a PR pathway, and your plan depends on accumulating qualifying work experience during full-time studies to become eligible; or
Your plan is contingent on a second PGWP at the end.

Your PR candidate profile can remain active even if your Canadian status changes

If you have already submitted a profile through the Express Entry system, you can remain a candidate regardless of your legal status in Canada, as long as you stay eligible under the program you qualify for—and your profile doesn’t expire.

This can also apply for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams, though some streams may have specific requirements about a candidate's current or previous status in a province, as part of eligibility criteria—such as having gained work experience in the province, or currently holding a valid work or study permit.

For work permit holders transitioning to study permit status, this means that they are able to maintain their eligibility for PR streams while remaining in Canada, and can still receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) should it come while studying.

Studying can increase your CRS score, increasing your chances of an ITA in the future

Express Entry’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)—the system by which candidates in the Express Entry system are ranked and consequently awarded invitations—rewards language, education, age, and work experience.

Due to how the system is formatted, adding a Canada credential can improve your CRS through:

Higher core education points;
Stronger skill-transferability combinations; and
Additional CRS points specifically for Canadian education.

IRCC awards 15 additional CRS points for a completed Canadian post-secondary credential of one or two years, and 30 additional CRS points for a completed Canadian credential of three years or longer.

Below are two realistic, simplified examples of how the “Canadian education” bonus and the skill-transferability math can stack, using official CRS criteria.

Example 1: Aisha Khan completes a 1-year Canadian post-grad certificate (and turns 30)

Aisha is 29 when she first compares her options. She has a foreign bachelor’s degree, scores CLB 9 across all four language abilities, has 1 year of Canadian work experience, and 3 years of foreign skilled work experience.

Aisha’s Core / human capital = 394 points, made up of:

110 for age 20–29
120 for a bachelor’s degree
124 for language (CLB 9 = 31 points for each of the four language abilities)
40 for 1 year of Canadian work experience

Aisha earns 88 skill transferability points in total:

Education combinations (38 total):
25 from the education–language combination
13 from education, paired with one year of Canadian work experience

Foreign work combinations yield 50 total points because Aisha reaches the cap in this area (her foreign work combined with her CLB 9 already maxes out the factor).

This brings her initial CRS score to = 482.

Aisha completes a one-year Canadian post-graduate credential.

By then, she is 30, so her age points drop from 110 (age 20–29) to 105 (age 30), a loss of 5 points.

Updated core / human capital = 397 points, made up of:

105 for age 30
128 for education (two or more credentials)
124 for language (CLB 9 stays the same)
40 for 1 year of Canadian work (unchanged)

Updated skill transferability = 100 points, because:

Education-related transferability reaches the 50-point cap (her stronger education level paired with CLB 9 maxes out that factor)
Foreign work transferability remains maxed out at 50.
Aisha also earns 15 additional points now for a Canadian post-secondary credential of one or two years

Final CRS = 397 + 100 + 15 = 512

With this CRS score, Aisha would have received an ITA under Express Entry’s most recent Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw (January 7, 2026), which had a CRS cut-off score of 511.

Example 2: Mateo Silva completes a Canadian master’s degree (and turns 35)

Mateo is 33 when he starts planning. He has a foreign bachelor’s degree, scores CLB 8 across all four language abilities, has 1 year of Canadian work experience, and 3 years of foreign skilled work experience.

His work experience (in Canada and abroad) is as a Secondary school teacher (NOC 41220), which is included in Express Entry’s Education occupations category list (category-based selection).

Mateo’s Core / human capital = 340 points, made up of:

88 for age 33;
120 for a bachelor’s degree (or a 3+ year post-secondary credential);
92 for language (CLB 8 = 23 per ability × 4);
40 for 1 year of Canadian work experience.

Mateo earns 76 skill transferability points in total:

13 points from the education–language combination;
13 points from education paired with one year of Canadian work experience;
25 points from three or more years of foreign work experience combined with CLB 7+; and
25 points from three or more years of foreign work, paired with one year of Canadian work experience.

Finally, Mateo earns 15 additional points for having a brother living in Canada who is a permanent resident.

This brings his initial CRS score to = 431

Mateo completes a two-year Canadian master’s degree.

By then, he is 35, so his age points drop from 88 (age 33) to 77 (age 35), a loss of 11 points.

Updated core / human capital = 344 points, made up of:

77 for age 35
135 for a master’s degree
92 for language (CLB 8 stays the same)
40 for 1 year of Canadian work (unchanged)

Updated skill transferability = 100 points, because:

Education becomes maxed out at 50 for a master’s credential paired with CLB 7+ (under 9) and 1-year Canadian work
Foreign work remains 50 (3+ years foreign paired with CLB 7+ under 9, and with 1-year Canadian work)

Additional points now = 30, made up of:

15 for a Canadian post-secondary credential of one or two years
15 for the sibling in Canada (still applies)

Final CRS = 344 + 100 + 30 = 474

With this CRS score, Mateo would have received an ITA under Express Entry’s most recent Education category-based draw, which had a CRS score of 462.

Studying can unlock graduate-focused PNP pathways, and a nomination is often decisive

For many people, the most powerful immigration impact of studying is not the CRS bump. It is the PNP eligibility that comes with graduating in a certain province.

A provincial nomination awards Express Entry candidates 600 additional CRS points, which is typically enough to move a candidate to the top of the pool and all but guarantee them an ITA in an upcoming draw.

Many provinces offer PR streams and pathways that look for international graduates who have work experience in Canada—making recent work permit holders who graduate with a Canadian post-secondary credential in a province highly eligible.

Some examples of these streams include:

The Ontario PhD Graduate, Master’s Graduate and Employer Job Offer: International Student streams;
The British Columbia International Graduate and Post-Graduate categories;
The Manitoba Career Employment and Graduate Internship pathways; and
The Nova Scotia International Graduates in Demand stream.

Note that some streams may currently be on a pause from issuing ITAs to candidates. It is worthwhile to check each stream’s details and their ITA activity before making plans to pursue one as a pathway to PR.

See your eligibility for all Express Entry-aligned PNP streams

Study permits will be more accessible to some students soon

Canada operates under an international student cap system that requires many applicants to include a provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) issued by the province or territory where they plan to study.

For context, IRCC’s 2026-2028 Levels Plan plans to issue 155,000 new study permits across student cohorts under the cap framework over the course of this year.

Though the study permit cap was initially conceived to rein in the number of international students within Canada, developments throughout the last year may make it easier for work permit holders to transition to student status despite tighter regulations:

Canada is already undershooting its admissions targets for international students: Data from 2025 suggests that Canada is well under its targets to welcome new international students, with the downward trend showing no signs of slowing in the current regulatory environment. As a result, workers transitioning to study permits in Canada may have a greater likelihood of receiving study permits even if their study programs require a PAL/TAL.

PAL/TAL exemptions for graduate students: As of January 1, 2026, master’s and doctoral students enrolled at a public designated learning institution will not need to submit a PAL/TAL with their study permit application. This exemption does not mean graduate study permits become “automatic,” but it does remove one administrative hurdle and some upfront costs for that group, making study permits more accessible.

Canadian credentials can improve long-term career prospects, not just immigration points

Even when the immediate goal is PR, a Canadian credential can affect your career trajectory in a way that matters for immigration planning.

A Canadian credential may help with employer recognition, access to co-ops or internships (program-dependent), and in regulated fields, it can support licensing pathways. Those career effects can translate into better job stability and stronger future eligibility under provincial or federal programs.

The key trade-offs

While transitioning to a study program can yield a number of benefits and aid work permit holders in their newcomer journey, there are serious trade-offs worth discussing as well.

Your work authorization usually becomes more limited on a study permit

When you move from a work permit to a study permit, you should expect your ability to work to change.

Under current federal rules, eligible international students can work up to 24 hours per week off campus during regular academic sessions and unlimited hours during scheduled breaks, if they meet the conditions.

For those who have been working full-time on a work permit, this change can have serious financial implications—particularly for individuals who depend on that income to support themselves in Canada.

Not all student work experience helps the same way for Express Entry programs

If your PR strategy depends on qualifying for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), know that IRCC states that student work experience does not count toward the minimum requirements for CEC (and also does not count for the Federal Skilled Trades Program minimum).

In contrast, IRCC confirms that for the Federal Skilled Worker Program's selection factors, work experience can count even if it was gained while studying—as long as it meets the program rules.

While this may not be a factor for those who are already eligible for a PR program, it underscores why a “study pivot” needs planning.

You cannot get a second PGWP if you already obtained one

IRCC states that you cannot get a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) if you already had one after completing an earlier program of study. The PGWP is a once-in-a-lifetime document.

PGWPs are key documents that graduates in Canada may receive to allow them to integrate into the labour market and build eligibility for PR pathways.

If your expiring status is a PGWP, studying may still help you stay in Canada and improve PR chances, but it will not restore the same openworkpermit runway afterward.

See your eligibility for all Express Entry streams