Canada Freezes PGWP Eligible Programs List for 2026
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced it will not alter the list of educational programs eligible for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) in 2026. The department confirmed this decision through a website update on January 15, 2026. According to a report by CIC News, no fields of study will be added or removed for the remainder of the year.
Background and Context
This latest update follows IRCC's 2025 announcement that it planned to overhaul the PGWP-eligible programs list early in 2026. With the new announcement, the current list will remain unchanged for the rest of the year. This move likely aims to offer certainty to students and educational institution providers.
IRCC implemented a field-of-study requirement in 2024 for specific post-secondary graduates applying for a PGWP. This rule mandates that some international students should complete programs related to occupations experiencing long-term labour shortages to be eligible for the work permit. Typically, this requirement applies to non-degree programs below the bachelor's level, such as certificate programs. Students holding a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree are exempted from the field-of-study requirement for a PGWP, the report said.
What is PGWP?
A PGWP is an open work permit which enables eligible graduates to work in Canada and acquire Canadian work experience. This is often a key step towards permanent residence.
Implications for Students
For interested international students who plan to study and work in Canada, the current freeze gives certainty about which programs can lead to a PGWP after graduation, the report said. IRCC's list currently comprises 1,107 educational programs eligible for the PGWP. These are mainly in sectors such as:
- Healthcare and social services
- Education
- Trades
- Agriculture
- STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)
- Transport
Graduates from college and non-degree programs should verify their program's inclusion on the eligible list if they plan to apply for a PGWP.
Recent PGWP Changes
IRCC announced revisions to the educational programs eligible for a PGWP in June 2025. With this, 119 new fields of study were added to the list, and 178 were removed. The government in July halted the removal of programs from PGWP eligibility till the next update to the list, indicating it would come in "early 2026." This means the 178 programs that were "removed" in June 2025 remained eligible for the rest of 2025. With the list frozen for 2026, they will continue to qualify until the end of the year.
