On June 7, 2022, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a new measure to limit access to post-graduation work permits for graduates of private learning institutions that are not subsidized in Quebec. 

Starting September 1, 2023, international graduates of unsubsidized private colleges will not be eligible for the post-graduation work permit in Quebec. PGWP is a kind of work permit that allows the permit holder to live and work in Canada for several years and is also considered a pathway to permanent residency immigration. 

The measure includes restricting post-graduation work permits to students who have completed a subsidized program of study. Quebec’s Minister of Education takes this corrective action to address the gaps regarding several unsubsidized private colleges. 

Quebec’s Immigration Minister, Jean Boulet, stated that the measure was implemented to safeguard the integrity of the education and immigration systems. Several reports have highlighted issues related to the standard of education and the recruitment of a large number of students, the majority from India. After a government investigation, Quebec identified around a dozen establishments and initiated an action plan in 2021 spring to address the problems within this network.

Therefore, this measure will ensure that Quebec is not used as a gateway for obtaining permanent residency in Canada. Also, in other provinces, international graduates from unsubsidized private colleges generally do not have access to this work permit.