PGWP field-of-study list frozen for 2026: degrees exempt

IRCC won't add or remove any fields of study from the post-graduation work permit (PGWP) list in 2026. The freeze matters only for non-degree programmes such as college diplomas and certificates. Bachelor's, master's and doctoral graduates don't have to meet the field-of-study requirement at all.

What changed

IRCC's field-of-study page now says that for 2026 it won't add or remove any eligible fields. The list you see today is the one that applies for the rest of the year.

That follows a messy 2025. On 25 June 2025, IRCC added 119 fields and removed 178. On 4 July it put the removed fields back, saying in an update notice that they would stay eligible until the list is next updated. The currently eligible list is still dated 4 July 2025, so those fields remain on it.

Eligible fields are linked to jobs in long-term shortage in Canada, and IRCC says they can change with the labour market. The freeze gives students who are choosing a programme now a fixed list to plan against.

Who it affects

The field-of-study requirement applies to you if both of these are true:

• you applied for your study permit on or after 1 November 2024
• your programme isn't a degree, for example a college diploma, a certificate or another non-degree credential, including one offered by a university

It doesn't apply if you graduate with a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree, if you applied for your study permit before 1 November 2024, or if you graduate from a PGWP-eligible flight school. Where it does apply, your programme's six-digit CIP code must be on the list when you submit either your study permit application or your PGWP application.

The rule is the same for students from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Degree students skip the field-of-study check, but not the language test: every PGWP applicant needs one except flight school graduates.

What to do now

1. Check whether your programme is a degree. If it's a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree, the field-of-study rule doesn't apply, but the other PGWP conditions still do.
2. For a diploma or certificate, ask the school for the programme's six-digit CIP code, find it on IRCC's list and save a dated screenshot.
3. Plan your language test. You need CLB 7 in all four skills for a university programme or CLB 5 for a college programme. IRCC accepts IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General and PTE Core for English, so an IELTS Academic score won't count.
4. Check the other PGWP conditions: a PGWP-eligible school, a programme of at least eight months, full-time study and an application within 180 days of confirmation that you've completed your programme.

Look up any school on your shortlist with the university finder, and read our Canada study guide for PAL rules and proof of funds.

FAQ

Will my field be removed before I graduate?

Not during 2026. After that, your field still counts if it was on the list when you applied for your study permit, so keep a dated record of what the list said.

Does a master's degree need an eligible field?

No. Bachelor's, master's and doctoral graduates are exempt from the field-of-study requirement, though they still need CLB 7 in the language test.

What happens in 2027?

IRCC hasn't said. If your non-degree programme runs into 2027 or later, check the list again right before you apply for your study permit, because a field that's on the list on that date still counts when you graduate.