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PGWP Field-of-Study Restrictions for College Graduates
Effective: November 1, 2024 (initial); list amended June 25, 2025; bachelor exemption March 2025; list frozen January 2026
TL;DR
Non-degree college graduates must now graduate from a program in one of five priority fields (agriculture/agri-food, healthcare, STEM, trades, transport). Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD graduates are exempt. The eligible-CIP-code list was frozen for 2026.
What changed
- College diploma/certificate students need a CIP code on the eligible list.
- Bachelor's, Master's, PhD graduates exempt regardless of field.
- Eligible-program list amended June 2025; frozen for 2026.
Who is affected
College diploma/certificate students who applied for study permits on or after Nov 1, 2024.
Verify on canada.ca
Always confirm policy details, dates, and exact eligibility on the Government of Canada source page before acting:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/work/after-graduation/eligibility/field-of-study.html ↗Related immigration topics
Other recent policy changes