Yesterday, IRCC Minister Marc Miller announced that international students will NO LONGER be able to apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) at the border. All applications must be submitted online.
⚠️This measure is effective immediately to reduce the practice of flagpoling.
✅Flagpoling is when temporary residents of Canada leave the country and immediately return to receive same-day immigration services at the border. There is no need to actually leave the country, and an American visa is not required for this procedure.
✅This is usually done to avoid the long waiting times associated with online applications for work or study permits.
⚠️IRCC notes that flagpoling at the border requires a lot of resources, diverting officers from their enforcement duties, causing delays and queues, and slowing down the movement of goods.
🤯Between March 1, 2023, and February 29, 2024, nearly 25% of all applications at the border were for the open work permit for graduates.
✅The Canadian government is implementing this policy to encourage online applications within the country. This change aims to equalize all applicants, as online processing takes several months, while border processing provided immediate documents. A study permit typically expires 90 days after the end of the course. Qualified graduates can apply for an open work permit online, allowing them to work full-time while awaiting approval. Once approved, they receive the work permit by mail.
⚠️What immigration services are available through flagpoling? Temporary residents of Canada can receive various immigration services through flagpoling at the border, avoiding long wait times at IRCC. These include:
👉study permits (initial and extensions)
👉work permits (initial and extensions)
👉activation of permanent residency (for example, for parents). After approval of a permanent status application, they can formally confirm their residency at the border.
