New IRCC data on post-graduation work permits offers a tempting headline: the refusal rate in one stream climbed from 12% to 21%.
Stop there and you will misread it. The full picture is more precise, and for most applicants considerably better.
Two streams, two different outcomes
IRCC records PGWP applications in two categories:
- WP — a new work permit application
- WP-EXT — an extension or change of status filed from inside Canada
Most PGWP applicants apply from within Canada at the end of their studies, and those applications are recorded as WP-EXT. The WP stream is the smaller of the two.
Their outcomes diverge sharply:
WP (new work permit):
- 2023: 87% approved — 13% refused
- 2024: 88% approved — 12% refused
- 2025 (Jan–Nov): 79% approved — 21% refused
WP-EXT (in-Canada extension):
- 2023: 98% approved — 2% refused
- 2024: 98% approved — 2% refused
- 2025: 97% approved — 3% refused
Both streams combined:
- 2023: 2% refused
- 2024: 2% refused
- 2025: 4% refused
What actually happened
Three things at once:
- The overall refusal rate doubled — from 2% to 4%. 96% of applications are still approved.
- The real jump is in the WP stream, from 12% to 21%. It is the smaller category, but the movement in it is substantial.
- The in-Canada route is essentially unchanged, moving from 2% to 3%.
So the accurate headline is this: apply from inside Canada, in status and on time, and your approval odds remain above 97%. The elevated risk is concentrated in the other stream.
Why the WP stream got harder
The data does not give reasons, but the timing aligns with known changes: from November 2024 a field-of-study requirement applied to many non-degree programs, and language requirements were added.
Applicants who cannot use the in-Canada extension route — those whose status has expired, or who apply from outside — are precisely the group most exposed to those new conditions.
What to do about it
- Apply before your study permit expires. Staying in status keeps you in the 97% lane rather than the 79% one.
- Check the field-of-study requirement before you enrol, not after you graduate.
- Treat the 90-day post-completion window as a hard deadline. Missing it moves your file from the safe category into the risky one.
- If your status has already expired, deal with restoration before anything else.
Source
Figures from IRCC operational data, compiled by OPP-DART-2026-38691, source IRCC-EDW (CBR) refreshed 2 March 2026, covering 1 January 2023 to 30 November 2025. Approval rates are calculated as approved divided by the sum of approved and refused.
Related reading
- 603,730 post-graduation work permits, by field of study
- Co-op work permits are gone — but one line on your study permit decides it
