Education students have a path to permanent residence in Canada
Recent changes to Canada’s immigration system have given post-secondary students in the field of education a clear temporary-to-permanent residence pathway.
The education field has been added to the eligible fields of study for post-graduation work permits (PGWPs), in addition to having been added to category-based selection for Express Entry.
Under the new regime, an international student can study an education program (even at a level of study lower than a bachelor’s degree), obtain a PGWP, then gain work experience in Canada, qualifying them for education occupation draws through the Express Entry system.
See how competitive your Express Entry profile is, and what categories you may qualify for
Example
For example, Taima is a 27-year-old college student who studied in the Early Childhood Education diploma program at Sheridan College for two years. She is single, proficient in English, does not know any French, and has one year of foreign work experience.
Taima’s study program corresponds to “Early childhood education and teaching (13.1210)” under the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), which allows her to meet the field of study requirements for her PGWP.
Taima graduates from Sheridan and applies for a PGWP, which she is issued for two years.
Upon graduating, she then applies to the Ontario College of Early Childhood Educators for a Certificate of Registration, to become a registered Early Childhood Educator in Ontario and legally work in the province.
Taima must obtain this certificate as childhood education professionals are regulated in Canada, meaning they must be authorized to practice in the country by the relevant provincial authority. This certificate will also add to her eligibility through Express Entry's scoring system.
After being issued the Certificate of Registration, Taima works for a year full-time, providing educational programming in a daycare.
Her job falls under the profession “Early childhood educators and assistants (42202)” under Canada’s National Occupation Classification (NOC) system.
Her work experience now qualifies her for Express Entry’s Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program and for the education category-based draws under Express Entry.
After one year of work in Canada, Taima’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score will be as follows:
| Factor | Taima’s human capital factors | CRS score |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 27 | 110 |
| Education | Two-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute | 98 |
| Official language proficiency (English) | Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 10 across all language abilities | 136 |
| Second official language proficiency (French) | N/A | 0 |
| Canadian work experience | One year | 40 |
| Official language proficiency + Post-secondary degree | 1. Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer + CLB 9 in all language abilities | 25 points |
| Post-secondary education + Canadian work experience | Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer + One year of Canadian work experience | 13 Points |
| Foreign work experience + Official language ability | One year of foreign work experience + CLB 9 or higher in all four language abilities | 25 Points |
| Foreign work experience + Canadian work experience | One year of foreign work experience + One year of Canadian work experience | 13 Points |
| Certificate of qualification + Official language ability | Certificate of qualification + CLB 7 or more in all four language abilities | 50 Points |
| Total for skill transferability factors | 100 points (Points for skills transferability are capped at 100) | |
| Additional points | Post-secondary education in Canada - credential of one or two years | 15 points |
| Total | 499 points | |
As the most recent cut-off score for an education category draw was 479, Taima is well-positioned to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
If she submits an application for PR and receives an Acknowledgment of Receipt (AOR), she can apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit while her application is being processed, allowing Taima to retain her worker status during the processing time.
More details on this process are given in the sections below.
See how competitive your Express Entry profile is, and what categories you may qualify for
Stage 1: Choosing a study program
Students who wish to permanently settle in Canada must start by choosing the correct study program.
International students must choose a program from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI)—the only schools in Canada legally authorized to admit international students—and make sure that their study program makes them eligible for a PGWP upon graduating*.
Students who are required to meet the field of study requirement for a PGWP must ensure that their study program meets the description of field-of-study-approved programs. Simply studying in a program with a similar title to the PGWP-eligible program is not sufficient.
Students considering immigration as a key part of their interest in Canada may also wish to look at Express Entry's in-demand positions to gain a better idea of what kinds of occupations are currently in demand in the country.
Once a student has picked their chosen study program and DLI, they must then apply for a study permit and receive approval from IRCC.
For more information on finding out if your school offers PGWP-eligible programs, and if your specific study program is PGWP-eligible, read our dedicated articles on the topic.
A list of PGWP-approved study programs in education, at levels of study below a college bachelor's degree, can be found here.
Students may wish to keep in mind that while many industries (such as healthcare, education, and construction) have historically had persistent job vacancies, IRCC has committed to updating the in-demand occupations it invites for category-based selection every year, so the occupations that qualify for category-based draws may change by the time a student graduates.
Discover your options to study in Canada
Stage 2: Getting a PGWP
The PGWP is an open work permit issued to international graduates (upon graduating) for up to three years, depending on the length of their study program.
As an open work permit, the PGWP allows holders to work for most employers in most industries in Canada, helping them gain Canadian work experience.
Canadian work experience helps them qualify for the CEC program under Express Entry, and also adds to their CRS score, which increases their chances of receiving an ITA for permanent residence (PR) through Express Entry.
On 25 June 2025, the government added education as a PGWP-eligible field of study, meaning that international graduates can qualify for a PGWP when studying education, even in non-bachelor's college programs.
*International graduates at certain levels of study, who first applied for their study permit on or after 1 November 2024, must meet field of study requirements in order to be eligible for a PGWP, unless exempt. Graduates of bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs are exempt from field of study requirements.
PGWP applicants must meet minimum language proficiency requirements, which vary depending on their level of study.
These changes are detailed in the table below:
| 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. |
In addition to the above language and field of study requirements (if applicable), students must also meet the following general requirements to be eligible for a PGWP:
- The student must have completed a program of study at a PGWP-eligible DLI that was at least eight months in length (or 900 hours for programs in Quebec);
- The student must have maintained full-time status in Canada during each semester of their program of study, with the exception that part-time studies are permitted in the final semester;
- The student must apply for a PGWP within 180 days of receiving confirmation of program completion; and
- The student’s study permit must have been valid at some point during the 180 days following graduation and before the submission of the PGWP application.
Schedule a Free PGWP Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm
Stage 3: Pursuing PR
International graduates of education programs in Canada have an advantage in pursuing PR through the Express Entry system.
Once they have accumulated a year’s worth of eligible full-time work experience in Canada, graduates can not only qualify for the CEC program, and also see a great boost in their CRS score due to the combination of their Canadian work experience and their Canadian education.
Visit our dedicated webpages for a complete account of CEC eligibility requirements, for instructions on how to find the correct NOC for your profession, and to check if your NOC is eligible for category-based selection.
After having gained at least six months of continuous full-time work experience in an education category-eligible profession, graduates can also qualify for education category-based draws through Express Entry.
Qualifying for a category-based draw allows a foreign national to receive an ITA for PR with a lower CRS score than if they were not to qualify for a category-based draw.
For example, the most recent education category-based draw had a cut-off score of just 479. In comparison, the most recent CEC draw cut-off score was 534—meaning that education professionals within the pool may receive an ITA with a comparatively much lower CRS score than other CEC candidates.
As of the most recent data, there are 25,123 profiles with a CRS score between 501 and 600, indicating a very competitive candidate pool even at the higher CRS ranges.
See how competitive your Express Entry profile is, and what categories you may qualify for
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