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2. Skills >
3. Foreign Workers

Temporary Foreign Worker Program

Employment of International Students Graduating from Recognized Post-Secondary Institutions

Under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP), employers may hire international students who have graduated from participating Canadian post-secondary institutions, to work for up to three years without the need for the employer to obtain a Labour Market Opinion from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC)/Service Canada.

Following the completion of their initial period of employment authorized under the PGWPP, some employers may wish to offer these individuals permanent employment in order to retain their skills and expertise.

Information for Employers

Citizenship and Immigration Canada's (CIC) Post-graduation Work Permit Program provides eligible foreign students graduating from a participating post-secondary Canadian institution with Canadian work experience. Employers who want to permanently employ such graduates following completion of their PGWPP, for positions requiring at minimum post-secondary education or trade qualification, must apply for a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) from HRSDC/Service Canada. Please note that the job opportunity can be offered by a different employer than the employer that offered the position under the PGWPP. When completing the Application for a Labour Market Opinion, whether applying on-line or using the fill & print version of the application, employers must answer “yes” to the question “Is the job temporary with intent to permanent?”.

Employers must submit an Application for a Labour Market Opinion to the Service Canada Centre responsible for processing the foreign worker requests in their area. The application will be assessed using existing program criteria. In cases where the employer is making a permanent job offer to employees who have completed the PGWPP for employment in a skilled occupation (within National Occupational Classification 0, A and B codes only), the employer will not be required to demonstrate recruitment efforts. It is recommended that the employer submit the application for an LMO approximately four months before the expiry of the Post-Graduation Work Permit.

Learn more about the HRSDC/Service Canada LMO assessment criteria, noting that a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) issued by the province is also required for jobs in Quebec.

CIC makes the final decision on the issuance of work permits.

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Date Modified:

2012-01-26