Program and school
Not every school or program leads to a post-graduation work permit. Program level, field of study and current eligibility rules must be checked before enrolment.
Plan from the beginning
Graduation should launch a career—not create a crisis.
Many families focus first on admission, the study permit and grades. Immigration planning is postponed until graduation, when the student has limited time to find qualifying work and may discover that the credential, location or occupation does not support a realistic permanent-residence pathway.
We begin with the intended outcome. We assess the student’s academic strengths, employability, immigration options, family resources and risk tolerance, then help select an education and post-graduation strategy that work together.
Length and timing
The duration of study can affect the possible length of the post-graduation work permit—and therefore the time available to build qualifying experience.
Career outcome
A credential should connect to real employment, the right NOC and a credible federal or provincial pathway. Employability matters as much as admission.
Alternative strategy
If conventional employment is unlikely, a carefully structured entrepreneur or family-business plan may provide another route. It must be genuine, compliant and commercially sound.
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
Use the post-graduation work permit strategically
A PGWP is generally available only once. Eligibility is not automatic merely because a student attended a designated learning institution, and current language and field-of-study rules may also apply.
Program of 2 years or more
IRCC may issue a PGWP valid for up to 3 years, subject to eligibility and passport validity.
Program of at least 8 months but under 2 years
IRCC may issue a PGWP for up to the same length as the program.
Eligible master’s degree
A qualifying master’s program of at least 8 months may support a 3-year PGWP even when the program is under 2 years.
Do not plan from duration alone. Confirm that the institution and specific program are PGWP eligible, that the student satisfies the rules applicable to the application date, and that the passport will remain valid long enough. A mandatory co-op may be valuable career preparation, but work performed while studying full-time—including a co-op term—does not count toward the Canadian Experience Class minimum.
Employment pathway
The job search cannot begin at graduation.
For most graduates, the objective is authorized, paid Canadian work in an occupation that supports the intended immigration program. Under the Canadian Experience Class, qualifying experience generally must be in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 and total at least one year or 1,560 hours within the relevant period.
Students should build employability while studying: occupation research, licensing, language results, networking, co-op selection and a disciplined job-search plan. The first months after graduation can be decisive, especially when the available work permit is short.
IS2EZ family-business planning
Two structures. Very different immigration consequences.
A business must be chosen for commercial viability as well as immigration strategy. Ownership, control, duties, payroll, authorization to work and the intended permanent-residence program all matter.
Strategy 1
Student-owned business
The family finances a business owned and operated by the student. This may build entrepreneurial skill and may be relevant to some provincial graduate-entrepreneur or other business pathways.
Important limitation: self-employed work generally does not count toward the Canadian Experience Class minimum or Canadian-work CRS points. This structure needs a pathway that recognizes it.
Strategy 2
Parent-owned business employing the graduate
A parent establishes or acquires a genuine Canadian business, and the graduate works in a legitimate paid management or skilled role. Where the employment is authorized, genuine and not treated as self-employment, it may support Canadian skilled-work experience.
Careful structuring is essential: a family relationship does not make the experience eligible automatically. The business, employment relationship, wages, duties, records and immigration category must withstand scrutiny.
Provincial opportunities
Location can change the result.
Some provinces offer graduate, employer-supported or entrepreneur pathways that can be more practical than a federal route for the right student. Requirements may include local study, employment, work experience, language ability, a qualifying job offer, business ownership or active management.
We compare provincial options before the school is chosen—not after graduation—because the province of study and intended destination may materially affect the available strategy.
Independent legal advice
Know who benefits from the recommendation.
Education agents may be paid by schools for successful enrolments. Families should ask how an adviser is compensated and whether every recommendation is based on the student’s long-term interests.
An immigration lawyer assesses the legal and strategic consequences of the education decision. Early advice is usually far less costly than trying to repair an unsuitable program choice, expired opportunity or unsupported permanent-residence plan later.
Plan before applying
Choose the education, career and immigration strategy together.
We help families evaluate schools and programs, identify employment or business pathways, locate suitable business opportunities where appropriate, and handle the immigration process.