Ottawa, June 25, 2025 — The Government of Canada has announced a major update to its Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program, introducing a revised list of eligible fields of study to better align with the country’s labour market needs.

The changes, released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), add 119 new non-degree programs to the PGWP eligibility list while removing 178 programs that are no longer considered critical to Canada’s workforce priorities.

Key Highlights:

• The updated list now includes 920 eligible fields of study.
• The newly added programs focus on healthcare, education, skilled trades, and STEM-related disciplines.
• Programs in transportation, general agriculture, and some environmental sciences have been removed due to reduced demand.

Who Is Affected?

The new rules apply to international students in non-degree programs (such as diplomas and certificates) who apply for a study permit on or after November 1, 2024. However, students who submitted their study permit applications before June 25, 2025, will remain eligible under the previous criteria, even if their program has since been removed from the list.

Exemptions:

• Students enrolled in bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral programs are not affected by the field-specific restrictions.
• Graduates of flight schools also remain exempt from the new eligibility rules.

Government’s Position:

Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Lena Metlege Diab, emphasized that the update is part of a broader effort to ensure immigration continues to support the economy while maintaining sustainable population growth.

“Immigration has become an economic advantage to Canada, and that comes with the responsibility to align it with our labour market and community capacity,” she said.

The IRCC stated that the revised list prioritizes fields linked to long-term labour shortages, ensuring that international graduates are better positioned to contribute to sectors facing staffing challenges.

For the full list of eligible programs and further details, visit IRCC’s official update.