Update on Changes to IRCC Post-Graduation Work Permits

Earlier this fall, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced significant changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program, study permit eligibility, and work permit rules.

RRC Polytech has teams across the College looking into these changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program and has completed a review of the federal government’s eligibility list.

We’ve created a preliminary list of RRC Polytech’s programs that are eligible for a post-graduation work permit, which we are sharing with current and prospective students now so you can make informed decisions about pursuing post-secondary training in programs that will allow you to apply for a work permit upon completion.

• Aircraft Maintenance Engineer
• Application Development and Delivery
• Business Administration – Logistics and Supply Chain Management
• Cabinetry and Woodworking – Certificate
• Civil Engineering Technology – Structural Engineering Technology
• Communication Design
• Construction Management
• Data Science and Machine Learning
• Digital Media Design
• Digital Media Design – Interaction Design and Development
• Digital Media Design – Video and Motion Graphics
• Disability and Community Support
• Early Childhood Education
• Full Stack Web Development
• Game Development – Art
• Game Development – Programming
• Graphic Design
• Health Care Aide and Health Unit Clerk
• Heavy Duty Equipment Mechanic
• Information Security
• IT Operations
• Marine and Powersports Technician
• Network Services Technician
• Occupational Health and Safety
• Pharmaceutical and Food Manufacturing
• Science Laboratory Technology
• Science Laboratory Technology – Cell and Microbiology
• Science Laboratory Technology – Chemistry and Quality Analyst
• Science Laboratory Technology – Quality Assurance
• Technology Management
• Therapeutic Recreation Facilitator for Older Adults
• Transportation, Logistics, and Supply Chain Management
• Welding

The list is preliminary. We are hopeful that this list will change through our collaborative efforts with the provincial government to advocate for adding programs that meet Manitoba’s needs. We encourage you to continue to check back as this information will continue to evolve.

Important things to note:

• Current international students are eligible to receive post-graduation work permits if they meet language proficiency requirements, regardless of the program they are enrolled in.
• We are aware of an error on IRCC’s (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) website regarding field of study requirements. IRCC is working fast to fix this error, and CICan (Colleges and Institutes Canada) and CBIE (Canadian Bureau of International Education) have both confirmed that IRCC’s position remains unchanged and study permit applications submitted to IRCC before November 1, 2024, do not need to meet the field of study requirement for students to apply for a PGWP.
• International applicants who have not applied for their study permit prior to November 1, 2024, will need to study in a program identified by IRCC as eligible for a post-graduation work permit if they wish to work in Canada following graduation.

We are committed to ensuring that our students have access to programs that support their post-graduation career goals. Stay tuned for further updates as we update the list of eligible programs and reach out to iesupport@rrc.ca if you have questions or require support.