How to get Canadian PR with a two-year college degree

A two-year program at a Canadian college can lead to a three-year post-graduation work permit (PGWP), allowing an international student to become a competitive candidate for Canadian permanent residency (PR), provided they plan ahead.

See your eligibility for all Express Entry streams and categories

When pursuing PR through this study-to-immigrate pathway, plan for

Meeting the requirements for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP);
Becoming eligible for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) pathway to PR;
Increasing your competitiveness under Canada’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS);
Qualifying for category-based draws through Express Entry (if applicable); and
Becoming eligible for any alternative pathway(s) to PR applicable to you, such as pathways enabled by your particular program and location of study.

Getting a PGWP as an international student graduate

For most international student graduates, the first step toward PR after graduating will be to gain Canadian work experience on their PGWP.

With a two-year college program, you can qualify for a three-year PGWP.

To get a PGWP as a graduate from a two-year college program, you will need to have graduated from a program meeting the government’s field of study requirements, which includes programs that correspond to training and employment for in-demand occupations in education, STEM, and healthcare (among others).

You can look up qualifying programs on the list here.

You can meet this requirement if your program was on the list at the time you submitted your initial study permit application, or if your program is on the list when you submit your PGWP application.

In addition to having graduated from an eligible field of study, you must also meet the general requirements for a PGWP:

Have completed a program at a PGWP-eligible Designated Learning Institution (DLI) that was at least eight months (900 hours for Québec credentials);
Have maintained full-time status in Canada in each semester (part-time usually allowed in the final semester);
Have applied for the work permit within 180 days of receiving confirmation that you completed your program; and
Meet language proficiency requirements based on your level of study
- College bachelor's degrees: require a CLB/NCLC level 7 in all four abilities, in French or English.
- Non-bachelor college/polytechnic/non-university programs: need a CLB/NCLC level 5 in all four abilities, in French or English.
Not have been issued a PGWP before.

How long will my work permit be valid?

If you graduate from a program of at least two years in length, you can get a PGWP for up to three years.

If your program was less than two years in length, you can get a PGWP for the same duration as your study program.

Your PGWP cannot be issued beyond the expiry date of your travel document—so if your passport is set to expire sooner than the maximum PGWP duration for which you are eligible, you may wish to renew your passport prior to applying for your PGWP.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will not issue you a PGWP beyond the duration of your travel document’s validity.

Using your PGWP to build PR-eligible work experience

For many economic PR programs, the “bridge” from PGWP to PR is skilled work experience—and the most common federal route for PGWP holders is the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) through Express Entry.

CEC: the classic PGWP-to-PR pathway

To qualify for CEC, your Canadian work experience must be:

At a TEER level 0, 1, 2, or 3;
paid (wages or commission);
at least one year / 1,560 hours total in the three years before you apply; and
gained while authorized to work in Canada (for example, on your PGWP).

Important CEC details PGWP students often miss:

Self-employment and work experience gained while you were a full-time student (including co-op terms) don’t count toward CEC’s minimum requirements.
If you worked remotely, IRCC says you must have been physically in Canada and working for a Canadian employer for it to count as Canadian work experience.
You must plan to live outside of Québec.

What this means in real life: On a three-year PGWP, many graduates aim to secure a TEER 0–3 job as soon as possible and track their hours carefully until they reach the 1,560-hour threshold. Some steps that you can take before graduating to streamline this process include:

Working towards a co-op placement if your program offers it—allowing you to build valuable professional connections before transitioning to full-time work;
Taking advantage of campus job fairs to network with employers; and
Starting the job search early to ensure that you can transition smoothly from study to work.
- Graduates should note that they can begin full-time work even before they receive their PGWP, as long as they meet certain conditions when applying.

Qualifying for CEC alone isn’t enough. To get PR through the CEC, you must be a top-scoring Express Entry candidate under Canada’s CRS, so aiming to score as highly as possible on the basis of your education, work experience, language proficiency, and additional factors is advised.

See your eligibility for all Express Entry streams and categories

Category-based selection

In addition to maximizing your CRS score, you can increase your chances of receiving PR through Express Entry by qualifying for an Express Entry category, through work experience in an in-demand occupation, or by having high French language proficiency.

Candidates in these categories often receive ITAs with lower CRS scores, due to the smaller selection of profiles eligible for each category.

The French-language category requires candidates to have language proficiency in French equivalent to an NCLC level 7 in speaking, reading, writing, and listening.

To be eligible for an occupational category, candidates must have at least six months* of work experience (in-Canada or abroad) within the last three years, in addition to meeting basic eligibility for an Express Entry program.

Currently, there are six occupational categories in the Express Entry system:

Healthcare and social services occupations;
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) occupations;
Trade occupations;
Agriculture and agri-food occupations;
Education occupations; and
Physicians with Canadian work experience.

For college students considering Express Entry, taking a look at how one can build eligibility for an Express Entry category, either while studying or while on their PGWP, can significantly augment their chances of gaining PR.

If CEC isn’t enough, look at PNP routes

If your CRS score is not competitive—or if your province is actively selecting graduates—Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) can be a powerful alternative.

PNPs are provincial immigration programs that can be direct pathways to PR and many have Express Entry-aligned streams. If you receive a provincial nomination through a direct pathway, you can then apply to IRCC for PR.

If you qualify for an Express Entry-aligned PNP and receive a nomination, IRCC awards 600 additional CRS points, which can make an ITA through Express Entry much more likely.

If you are nominated, you’re expected to settle in the nominating province or territory.

If you are a college student whose goal is PR, it may be beneficial to choose your study province strategically, because some provinces have clearer graduate nomination routes than others, and streams can open/close or become more competitive.

Examples of PNP options for international graduates

PNP programs change frequently, but these examples show the kinds of “graduate pathways” that exist:

Ontario (OINP) – Employer Job Offer: International Student stream*: designed for graduates with a qualifying Ontario credential and a job offer from an eligible employer.
Manitoba – International Education Stream (Career Employment Pathway): for recent Manitoba graduates (including minimum language requirements) who meet pathway criteria.
Alberta (AAIP) – Graduate Entrepreneur Stream: a business-focused pathway for international graduates who own and operate a business in Alberta and meet stream criteria.

*Note that OINP streams may be changing soon, following consultations held by the province

See your eligibility for all Express Entry-aligned PNP streams

Example 1: Mina—PR through the CEC program

Mina is a 27-year-old, single international graduate who completed a two-year Canadian college diploma and is planning on getting PR through the CEC program.

She has strong English and French language skills, which contribute strongly to her score.

Before coming to Canada, Mina also gained two years of skilled foreign work experience, which helps through skill transferability factors, once combined with strong language and Canadian experience. She also benefits from having a sibling in Canada who is a citizen.

After graduation, she works in a TEER 1 role on her PGWP, which counts toward the CEC’s Canadian work experience requirement.

Mina applies for the CEC after the first year of work experience gained through her PGWP, and receives an ITA after completing two years of Canadian work.

Mina’s CRS score after one year vs. after two years (showing the work-experience boost):

A) Core / human capital

Factor	After 1 year Canadian work	After 2 years Canadian work
Age (20–29)	110	110
Education (2-year program)	98	98
English (CLB 10 x4)	136	136
French second language (NCLC 6 x4)	4	4
Canadian work experience	40	53
Core subtotal	388	401

B) Skill transferability (max 100)

Mina has strong English (CLB 9+), a two-year credential, and two years of foreign work experience, so she earns:

Skill transferability factor	After 1 year	After 2 years
Education + strong language	25	25
Education + Canadian work	13	25
Foreign work (1–2 yrs) + strong language	25	25
Foreign work (1–2 yrs) + Canadian work	13	25
Skill transfer subtotal	76	100

C) Additional points

Sibling in Canada: 15
Canadian education (1–2 years): 15

Additional subtotal: 30

Mina’s total CRS

After one year: 388 + 76 + 30 = 494
After two years: 401 + 100 + 30 = 531

After two years of work, Mina’s score of 531 would easily clear the most recent CEC draw cut-off of 509.

Example 2: Joseo — PR through OINP Employer Job Offer: International Student stream

Mateo completes a two-year Ontario college diploma in Cybersecurity / Network Engineering, ensuring that he meets PGWP field of study criteria.

After completing his studies, he received a full-time job offer during the first year of his PGWP as a Network Support Technician from an Ontario employer.

Once he secures his job offer, Mateo checks his eligibility factors (particularly wage rules and employer eligibility) and applies to the OINP’s Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream.

He registers an Expression of Interest (EOI) and gets an invitation to apply for a nomination.

He submits the application and receives a nomination and work permit support letter. Mateo then applies to IRCC for PR within six months of receiving the nomination.

During the interim period, Mateo continues to work on his PGWP. His PR application is approved within the next 12 months.

See your eligibility for all Express Entry streams and categories