Canada’s immigration department said it will not change the list of eligible educational programs for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) in 2026. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced through a website update on January 15, 2026 that no courses of study will be added or removed for the remainder of the year, according to CIC News.
The latest update follows IRCC’s 2025 announcement that it plans to overhaul the list of PGWP-eligible programs in early 2026. With the new announcement, the current list will remain unchanged for the rest of the year, likely offering certainty to students and educational institution providers.
IRCC introduced a field requirement in 2024 for specific post-secondary graduates applying for the PGWP. This rule mandates that certain international students complete programs related to occupations with long-term labor shortages in order to be eligible for a work permit. Typically, this requirement applies to non-degree programs below the bachelor’s level, such as certificate programs. Students with a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree are exempt from the field requirement for the PGWP, the release said.
What is PGWP?
The PGWP is an open work permit that allows eligible graduates to work in Canada and gain Canadian work experience, often a key step towards permanent residency.
What does the latest freeze mean for students?
For interested international students who plan to study and work in Canada, the current freeze gives certainty as to which programs can lead to a PGWP upon graduation, the report said.
IRCC’s list currently includes 1,107 PGWP-eligible educational programs, mainly in sectors such as health and social services, education, business, agriculture, STEM and transportation. Graduates of graduate and undergraduate programs should check their program’s eligibility list if they plan to apply for the PGWP.
2025 PGWP changes
IRCC announced revisions to PGWP-eligible education programs in June 2025. This added 119 new fields of study to the list and removed 178.
In July, the government halted the removal of programs from PGWP eligibility until the next update to the list, indicating it would come in “early 2026”. This means that the 178 programs that were “removed” in June 2025 remained eligible for the remainder of 2025. With the list frozen for 2026, they will continue to qualify until the end of the year.
