From study permit to PR: Canadian Experience Class, PNP and realistic odds in 2026

The usual path from study permit to PR

1. Study full time at a designated learning institution (DLI) in a program that leads to a PGWP.
2. Get a PGWP. It is an open work permit of up to 3 years. You can only get one in your life.
3. Work in a skilled job (NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3) for at least 12 months full time, or the same hours part time.
4. Enter Express Entry under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and/or apply to a province.
5. Get an invitation and apply for PR before your PGWP ends.

Your time as a student does not count as CEC work experience. Work you did while studying full time, including co-op terms, does not count either (IRCC, CEC page modified September 24, 2026).

Step 1: the PGWP

Since November 1, 2024, you need:

• CLB 7 in all four skills for a university degree or program, or CLB 5 for a college program
• An eligible field of study for most college programs, if you applied for your study permit on or after November 1, 2024 (degrees are exempt)
• A program of at least 8 months; 2 years or more (or a master’s) gives a 3-year PGWP

Apply within 180 days of getting your final marks. Check your case in the PGWP eligibility checker. Plan for the PGWP length: a 1-year program gives about 1 year of PGWP, which leaves little time to gain experience and wait for an invitation.

Step 2: Canadian Experience Class rules

• Work: at least 1 year (1,560 hours, 30 hours a week) of paid skilled work in Canada in the 3 years before you apply, with valid work authorization
• Job level: NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3. Find yours with the NOC code finder.
• Language: CLB 7 for TEER 0 or 1 jobs, CLB 5 for TEER 2 or 3 jobs, in all four skills
• Not counted: self-employment, unpaid internships and volunteering, and work while studying full time
• No education rule and no proof of funds for CEC

Meeting these rules only lets you enter the Express Entry pool. You still need a high enough Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score to be invited.

Realistic CRS scores for graduates

Recent Canadian Experience Class draws (IRCC):

Two examples using IRCC’s CRS grid (single applicants):

• Master’s graduate, age 25, CLB 9 in English, 1 year of Canadian work: about 474 points (age 110, education 135, language 124, Canadian work 40, skill transferability 50, Canadian education 15). With 2 years of work: about 487.
• College diploma graduate, age 24, CLB 7, 1 year of Canadian work: about 357 points.

Both are below recent CEC cut-offs. This is why many graduates also need French, a category draw, or a provincial nomination. Since March 25, 2025, a job offer no longer adds CRS points. Try your own numbers in the CRS calculator and the CRS improvement simulator.

Ways graduates raise their chances

• Higher language scores. Moving from CLB 9 to CLB 10 adds points in core and skill transferability.
• French. French-language draws from March to August 2026 invited candidates with scores from 382 to 420. NCLC 7 in all four French skills qualifies you for that category.
• Category draws. Healthcare, trades, transport and some other jobs have their own draws with lower cut-offs. Check the Express Entry category checker.
• A second year of work. More Canadian experience adds points.
• Provincial nomination. A nomination through an Express Entry-linked stream adds 600 points, which almost guarantees an invitation.

Step 3b: provincial nominee programs for graduates

Provinces will nominate more people in 2026. The 2026-2028 levels plan sets 91,500 PNP admissions in 2026 and 92,500 in each of 2027 and 2028, up from 55,000 in the 2025 plan. But provinces change their streams often:

• Ontario announced on June 26, 2026 that it was closing eight streams, including its Masters Graduate, PhD Graduate and Employer Job Offer: International Student streams. It is replacing them with the Ontario Workforce Priority stream for workers with a job offer.
• Other provinces run graduate or job-offer streams with their own rules, such as studying or working in the province and a job in a priority sector.

See current rounds in the PNP draw tracker and the provincial nominee program guide.

Keep your status while you wait

• Know your dates. Your PGWP cannot last longer than your passport. Renew your passport before you apply for the PGWP if it expires soon.
• Apply before your permit ends. If you apply to extend or change your status before your current permit expires, you can usually stay in Canada under the same conditions while IRCC decides (often called maintained status).
• Plan for a gap. You cannot get a second PGWP. Some Express Entry applicants can apply for a bridging open work permit while their PR application is processed. Check IRCC’s current rules in time.
• Count only valid work. Work without authorization, or beyond your permit conditions, does not count for CEC and can harm your application.

What the 2026 cuts mean

Canada’s 2026-2028 immigration levels plan (November 5, 2025) sets:

• 380,000 PR admissions a year, with 109,000 through Express Entry (federal high skilled) in 2026 and 111,000 in 2027 and 2028
• 155,000 new student arrivals in 2026 and 150,000 in 2027 and 2028
• A one-time measure to move up to 33,000 work permit holders to PR in 2026 and 2027

Fewer new students means less competition in the future, but there are already many graduates and workers in Canada competing for the same PR spaces. Plan for PR from your first year: pick a program that leads to a PGWP and a skilled job, work on your English or French, and keep your status valid. If your PGWP ends before you get PR, see work permits for other options.

Common questions

Sources

• IRCC: Canadian Experience Class (modified September 24, 2026)
• IRCC: PGWP, who can apply
• IRCC: About the PGWP (length)
• IRCC: Express Entry rounds of invitations
• IRCC: Comprehensive Ranking System criteria
• IRCC: Supplementary information, 2026-2028 immigration levels plan
• Government of Ontario: 2026 OINP updates

Checked against these sources on October 5, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.