Canada has announced major updates to the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) eligibility criteria for international students. The Canadian government has released an updated list of eligible fields of study for international students in non-degree programs.

With effect from June 25, 178 fields of study have been eliminated from the eligibility list, while 119 new fields of study are now eligible for PGWP.

As part of changes to the International Student Program, a new requirement was introduced in 2024.

To be eligible for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP), international students in non-degree programs (programs other than bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees) must complete a program in an eligible field of study linked to jobs in long-term shortages, such as those being prioritized under Express Entry.

Depending on your study program, you may need to meet a field of study requirement to be eligible for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP). This rule applies to students who applied for a study permit on or after November 1, 2024.

Starting June 25, the list of eligible fields of study has been updated to reflect the 2025 Express Entry priorities, and the following changes were made:

119 new fields of study in key sectors like health care and social services, education and trades were added.

178 fields of study no longer linked to occupations in long-term labour shortages were removed.

As a result of these changes, there are now 920 fields of study eligible for a PGWP.

The list of eligible fields of study has been modified as of June 25. Students who applied for a study permit before June 25, 2025, will still be eligible for a PGWP if their field of study was on the list when they applied for their study permit, even if it has since been removed.

To meet the field of study requirement, you must graduate from a program that’s on the list of currently eligible Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes when you submit your study permit application or PGWP application.

If your CIP code is not on the list of currently eligible codes when you apply for a PGWP, it may still be eligible based on when you submitted your study permit application.

However, you don’t need to meet the field of study requirement if one of the following applies to you:

You submitted your PGWP application before November 1, 2024, regardless of level of study.
You graduated from a PGWP-eligible flight school.
You graduated with a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctoral degree.
You applied for a study permit before November 1, 2024.