Overview
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently announced changes to multiple temporary residence permits and programs, including Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP) and Spousal Open Work Permits (SOWP).
As of November 1, post-graduation work permit applicants must demonstrate a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7, which is labelled as "adequate intermediate" language proficiency.
Eligibility for Post-Graduation Work Permits will also now depend on the level of study, with graduates from bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs remaining eligible for a permit of up to three years. Graduates will only be eligible for a three-year permit if their field of study is linked to labour market shortages in Canada, such as health care, STEM and skilled trades.
Spousal Open Work Permits will be limited, with eligibility remaining for spouses of students in doctoral and certain master's programs spouses of workers in high-demand or critical sectors.
The federal government has also released its Immigration Levels
Plan for 2025 to 2027 on November 1, 2024. The plan further reflects the government's previous proposal to reduce
temporary residents in Canada from 6.5 per cent of Canada's total population to
5 per cent.