As things look bleak amid the pandemic, Canada has introduced 3 new measures to ensure individuals are provided with ample opportunities to obtain study and work permits.

 The following are the new measures made public by the IRCC on PGWP (Postgraduate Open Work permit) eligibility for international students who did their courses online during the COVID-19 outbreak.

• If students would be completing 50% of their studies in Canada, they can continue to study online while being overseas up until April 30, 2021, without any deduction from the length of their PGWP.
• If a student had enrolled in an 8-12 months program that has a start date from May to September 2020, they may complete the entirety of their studies abroad and still be eligible for PGWP! (no need to be in Canada)
• International students who have done more than one eligible program, with one program that has start date between May and September 2020 (and study online up to April 30, 2021) can combine the lengths of their programs while applying for a PGWP given that at least 50% of studies is done in Canada.

For international students to qualify for the above measures, they need to have submitted a study permit application prior to starting a program  with a designated learning institution in the Spring/ Summer/ Fall 2020 semester or Jan 2021 semester. They need to be approved eventually for a study permit to be eligible.

The IRCC is closely monitoring the spread of COVID-19 and keeping a close watch on the changing international situations and one can expect additional announcements/ changes in the upcoming weeks or months.