Update on public-private college partnership programs for international students

Ottawa, March 22, 2024—On January 22, 2024, IRCC confirmed that international graduates of college programs delivered through a public-private curriculum licensing arrangement would no longer be eligible for a post-graduation work permit. This change will take effect on May 15, 2024, rather than the previously announced date of September 1, 2024. This means that international students who begin this type of program on May 15, 2024, or later will not be eligible for a post-graduation work permit when they graduate.

The change in post-graduation work permit criteria does not prevent a graduate of one of these programs from applying for a different type of work permit upon graduation. For occupations that face a labour shortage in Canada, a graduate could apply for a work permit supported by an employer’s approved labour market impact assessment, for example.

The list of designated learning institutions includes whether an institution’s graduates are eligible for a post-graduation work permit, and is available on our website. IRCC will continue to work with provinces and territories to proactively identify programs that have been affected by the clarification and will update this list as we receive additional information from them.