It might now be easier to get PR after a master’s/ PhD as an international student. For this, the IRCC enacted a PGWP policy, which was first declared on January 22 as one of the many changes coming to Canada’s international student system. 

This policy implies that international student graduates of the master’s degree program at Canadian DLI – the only post-secondary institutions authorized by IRCC to accept international students – are eligible for a three-year PGWP. This is true even for students studying in master’s programs, which are two years or less in length. 

Note: Before February 15, the validity period of a PGWP for master’s students was directly correlated to the length of the program of study. 

How Does This Make It Easier To Obtain PR In Canada? 

The value of a PGWP lies in that it enables international student graduates to work in Canada once they complete a PGWP-eligible program at a DLI. 

This Canadian work experience is valuable to those who intend to pursue PR because many of Canada’s immigration pathways either require or reward such experience. 

For instance, Canada’s popular Express Entry system, which prioritizes an applicant’s CRS score, rewards applicants with a minimum of 80 CRS points for work experience acquired in Canada before they apply for PR. 

This point value is for Express Entry applicants without a spouse/ common-law partner under the human capital factors section of the Express Entry system. In addition, applicants in other circumstances, like those applying alongside their spouse, might obtain a different number of CRS points. 

Thus, this expanded PGWP policy will make it easier for eligible students to obtain PR because it allows them more time to acquire valuable Canadian work experience, which they can then use on their immigration application. 

Other Ways IRCC Makes It Easier For Masters and PhD Students To Immigrate To Canada 

There are different ways to get PR after a master’s/ PhD as an international student. Here are a few of them. 

  • Express Entry’s CRS System Rewards Higher Education 

Further to the value of a master’s or PhD for Canadian immigration, the Express Entry CRS system rewards higher levels of education. 

Specifically, students with master’s and PhD degrees are rewarded with the two highest CRS scores under ‘level of education’ by the Express Entry system. 

  • Master’s Students: 126 points with a spouse/ common-law partner and 135 points without. 
  • PhD Students: 140 points with a spouse/ common-law partner and 150 points without. 

More CRS points give applicants a better chance of receiving an ITA for Canadian PR. 

  • Many Provinces/ Territories Dedicate PNPs For Such Students 

Students who obtain a master’s or PhD degree in Canada also open themselves up to various additional Provincial Nominee Program streams. 

Note: 11 of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories, excluding Quebec and Nunavut, operate a PNP. 

This is because many of Canada’s top newcomer destination provinces, like British Columbia and Ontario, operate specific streams for students who graduate from these programs.