CANADA ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO PGWP ELIGIBILITY

• IRCC (Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada) announces tighter cap for study permits and changes to PGWP eligibility.

• Master’s & PhD students now require a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL). 

• IRCC will issue just 437,000 study permits in 2025. According to the department, this number is based on a 10% reduction from the 2024 target of 485,000 new study permits issued, and then stabilizing the intake cap for 2026.  

• IRCC expects this to result in 300,000 fewer study permits being issued to international students over the next few years.

• For a Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). Applicants will now be required to demonstrate a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of 7 for university graduates and a CLB of 5 for college graduates who apply after November 1. 

•  Spousal Open Work Permits will also be limited to the spouses of Canadians or permanent residents who are employed in critical work sectors.