Canada's immigration department confirms no changes to fields of Post Graduate Work Permit eligible list for 2026

THE Canadian immigration department has 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) informed via a website update on 15 January 2026 that no fields of study will be added or removed for the remaining year, according to a report by CIC News.

The latest update comes after IRCC's 2025 announcement that it planned to overhaul the list of PGWP-eligible programs early in 2026. With the new announcement, the current list will remain unchanged for the rest of the year, likely to offer certainty to students and educational institution providers.

IRCC implemented a field-of-study requirement in 2024 for specific post-secondary graduates applying for a PGWP. This rule mandates that some international students should complete programs related to occupations experiencing long-term labour shortages to be eligible for the work permit.

Typically, this requirement applies to non-degree programs below the bachelor’s level, such as certificate programs. Students holding a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree are exempted from the field-of-study requirement for a PGWP, the report said.

What is PGWP?

A PGWP is an open work permit that enables eligible graduates to work in Canada and acquire Canadian work experience, which is often a key step towards permanent residence.

What does latest freeze imply for students?

Interested international students who plan to study and work in Canada, the current freeze gives certainty about which programs can lead to a PGWP after graduation, the report said.

IRCC’s list currently comprises 1,107 educational programs eligible for the PGWP, mainly in sectors such as healthcare and social services, education, trades, agriculture, STEM, and transport. Graduates from college and non-degree programs should verify their program's inclusion on the eligible list if they plan to apply for a PGWP.

2025 PGWP changes

IRCC announced revisions to the educational programs eligible for a PGWP in June 2025. With this, 119 new fields of study were added to the list, and 178 were removed.

The government in July halted the removal of programs from PGWP eligibility till the next update to the list, indicating it would come in "early 2026." This means the 178 programs that were "removed" in June 2025 remained eligible for the rest of 2025. With the list frozen for 2026, they will continue to qualify until the end of the year.