On 21 February 2026 Immigration blog Get In Canada confirmed that IRCC will not add or remove any programs from the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) eligibility list this year. The decision stabilises a policy area that saw significant churn in 2024-2025, when entire program categories were slated for removal before a last-minute reprieve.
For colleges and universities, the freeze provides breathing room to align curricula with labour-market needs without risking students’ work-permit prospects. Institutions that scrambled to stay on the list in 2025 can now market their programs with greater confidence to September 2026 intakes.
![IRCC freezes list of PGWP-eligible study programs for entire 2026 academic year]()
Students and employers looking to navigate study-permit applications or subsequent work authorization can streamline the process with VisaHQ. Our online platform (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) provides up-to-date guidance on Canadian study permits, PGWPs and related immigration pathways, helping applicants assemble compliant documentation and track deadlines efficiently.
From a corporate-mobility viewpoint, the announcement protects hiring pipelines that depend on PGWP holders—particularly in IT, business analytics and nursing, where many graduates transition to employer-specific work permits and eventually permanent residence.
The freeze does not affect IRCC’s new cost-of-living requirements or the upcoming cap on total study permits, meaning employers should still anticipate fewer PGWP-eligible graduates overall. HR teams should track each assignee’s field of study and graduation date to ensure continued eligibility through 2027.
For colleges and universities, the freeze provides breathing room to align curricula with labour-market needs without risking students’ work-permit prospects. Institutions that scrambled to stay on the list in 2025 can now market their programs with greater confidence to September 2026 intakes.
Students and employers looking to navigate study-permit applications or subsequent work authorization can streamline the process with VisaHQ. Our online platform (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) provides up-to-date guidance on Canadian study permits, PGWPs and related immigration pathways, helping applicants assemble compliant documentation and track deadlines efficiently.
From a corporate-mobility viewpoint, the announcement protects hiring pipelines that depend on PGWP holders—particularly in IT, business analytics and nursing, where many graduates transition to employer-specific work permits and eventually permanent residence.
The freeze does not affect IRCC’s new cost-of-living requirements or the upcoming cap on total study permits, meaning employers should still anticipate fewer PGWP-eligible graduates overall. HR teams should track each assignee’s field of study and graduation date to ensure continued eligibility through 2027.
