Ottawa, June 25, 2025 — 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. This rule applies to students who applied for a study permit on or after November 1, 2024.

Effective today, 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.

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.

Click here for a full list of eligible fields of study organized by the Classification of Instructional Programs system.

April 29, 2024—Ottawa—International students enrich Canada’s social, cultural and economic fabric. That is why, in recent months, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has introduced reforms to the International Student Program, to ensure system integrity while protecting students from fraud and financial vulnerability.

The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced today that the temporary policy allowing students to work more than 20 hours per week off campus will come to an end on April 30, 2024, and it will not be extended. This fall, we intend to change the number of hours students may work off campus per week to 24 hours.

Students who come to Canada must be here to study. As such, allowing students to work up to 24 hours per week will ensure they focus primarily on their studies, while having the option to work, if necessary.

As we head into the summer session, students who have a scheduled academic break can continue working unlimited hours.

In developing this change, we looked at the needs of students, policies in other countries, as well as research that has shown that academic outcomes suffer the more a student works while studying. It also strikes the appropriate balance so students have the option to work without compromising academic outcomes. More details will be shared in due course.

We also continue to develop the new Recognized Institutions Framework to reward post­secondary institutions that set high standards for selecting, supporting and retaining international students. We will continue to support and protect international students from financial vulnerability and keep protecting the integrity of the International Student Program.

Read more here.