One-to-one help with your Canadian university application. From direct entry with your existing qualifications to landing your PGWP and setting up for the residency route.
General information, not immigration or legal advice. This page draws on publicly available guidance from official government sources. Immigration, visa, and post-study rules change. We are not immigration lawyers, and nothing here is legal or immigration advice for your specific situation. Refer to the linked official government pages for the current position, and consult a qualified adviser for your personal circumstances.
A quick honest read on the Canadian cities international students actually end up in. Each has multiple strong universities and a real international student community.
Canada's largest city, with the deepest job market for finance, media, healthcare, and tech. Rent is high, but so is the density of international student communities and the concentration of graduate hiring.
Universities: University of Toronto, York University, Toronto Metropolitan University.
Coastal, mild climate, and one of the strongest film production hubs in the world. Strong tech scene alongside sustainability, marine sciences, and forestry research. Cost of living is on par with Toronto.
Universities: University of British Columbia (UBC), Simon Fraser University (SFU).
Bilingual (French and English), affordable by big-Canadian-city standards, and home to one of North America's strongest AI research clusters. Aerospace, gaming, and arts scenes are all significant.
Universities: McGill University, Concordia University, Université de Montréal, Polytechnique Montréal.
A smaller city with an outsized tech reputation. Google's largest engineering office outside the United States is here. BlackBerry and OpenText are headquartered locally. Co-op programmes at the University of Waterloo are the country's most established.
Universities: University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University.
Canada's capital. Strong for public policy, international affairs, and public-sector careers. Bilingual, walkable, and more affordable than Toronto or Vancouver. Shopify is headquartered here.
Universities: University of Ottawa, Carleton University.
Strong universities exist across the country. Calgary and Edmonton lead in energy and engineering. Halifax, St John's, and Winnipeg all offer strong programmes at more accessible living costs, and some provinces offer additional immigration incentives for regional graduates.
Universities: University of Alberta, University of Calgary, Dalhousie, Memorial, Manitoba, and more.
The Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) lets international students stay in Canada and work for any employer, in any field, at any level, after graduating. You don't need a job offer or employer sponsor. The PGWP is a one-time permit and non-renewable.
Duration usually matches the length of your programme, up to a three-year maximum. Master's graduates get three years even if the programme was less than two years, as long as the programme was at least eight months long. That's one of the reasons a Canadian Master's is popular with students planning ahead to permanent residency. University Bachelor's and PhD graduates are eligible in any field of study. College and non-degree programmes have to appear on IRCC's eligible field-of-study list, which is revised periodically.
Since November 2024, university graduates also need to prove CLB 7 English (or equivalent French) in all four skills to qualify for the PGWP. This is a change from earlier rules, so anyone applying with older language test results should check the dates carefully.
The PGWP itself isn't a pathway to permanent residency, but the Canadian work experience it lets you build is. See below for how that connects.
For general information on PGWP eligibility, refer to the official IRCC guidance at canada.ca. We're not immigration lawyers and this page is educational, not legal advice.
The most common route from graduating in Canada to permanent residency is Express Entry through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). This requires at least 12 months (1,560 hours) of skilled Canadian work experience in the three years before you apply. The work has to be in an eligible occupation, usually TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 categories under the National Occupation Classification system.
Work done as a full-time student doesn't count towards CEC, but the first year of PGWP-holder employment usually does. That's why the PGWP is the crucial bridge: it gives you the legal ability to build the specific work experience that Express Entry recognises.
Provincial Nominee Programmes offer additional routes and can significantly speed things up, particularly in Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia. These programmes change frequently in eligibility and intake windows, so we'll talk through what's realistic for your specific situation.
A realistic timeframe from graduation to permanent residency for a Canadian international graduate is 18 to 36 months, though processing times vary by year and category. There is no guaranteed timeline.
Every part of the Canadian application process, undergraduate or postgraduate.
Picking the right universities across provinces, balancing ambitious, realistic, and safe choices. Handling the specific quirks of Ontario, BC, Quebec, and direct-application provinces.
OUAC for Ontario. EducationPlannerBC for British Columbia. Direct applications for Quebec and postgraduate everywhere. We know the quirks of each and manage submissions properly.
Canadian statements of purpose (SOPs) are structured differently from UK personal statements. We coach you through the specific tone, structure, and evidence expected, especially for competitive programmes.
From day one we build your shortlist with post-study work and permanent residency in mind. Programme length, field-of-study eligibility, and provincial migration incentives all shape the decision.
Transcripts, references, portfolios for competitive programmes, and English proficiency evidence. Full review before submission so nothing goes out half-finished.
General visa information, accommodation, PAL and biometrics timing, opening a Canadian bank account, and getting from the airport to your first-week orientation.
It depends on the province. Ontario undergraduate applications go through OUAC 105 (the Ontario Universities' Application Centre). British Columbia uses EducationPlannerBC for its 25 public institutions. Quebec has no shared portal, so applications go directly to McGill, Concordia, or Université de Montréal. Postgraduate applications almost always go directly to the university's graduate studies office. We handle the right route for each university on your shortlist.
The PGWP lets you stay in Canada and work for any employer after graduation. University Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD graduates are eligible in any field of study. For college graduates, the programme has to be on IRCC's field-of-study list to qualify. Programme length usually determines the PGWP length, capped at three years. Master's graduates get the full three years even if the programme was less than two years, as long as the programme was at least eight months. Since November 2024, university graduates also need CLB 7 English (or equivalent French) to qualify.
The most common route is Express Entry through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). This requires 12 months (1,560 hours) of skilled Canadian work experience in an eligible occupation, which usually means the first year of your PGWP. Provincial Nominee Programmes offer additional routes, particularly in Alberta, Ontario, and Manitoba, but these change frequently. A realistic timeframe from graduation to permanent residency is 18 to 36 months, though processing times vary.
Canada introduced a national cap on study permits in January 2024. Since then, most applicants also need a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) or Territorial Attestation Letter (TAL) from the province where they'll study, before they can apply for the study permit. The cap and allocation vary each year, and a new PAL is required if you change schools. This adds a step to the process but doesn't change the underlying application to the university.
Yes. IRCC sets a minimum proof-of-funds requirement for study permit applications, updated annually and higher for Quebec. This is on top of tuition and travel costs. It has to be shown when you apply for your study permit. Refer to the official IRCC page for the current figure applicable to your circumstances.
It varies. Some universities, like UBC, waive language testing when applicants have completed several years of English-medium schooling, which typically covers Nigerian students. Others require IELTS or TOEFL regardless. We don't rely on a specific WAEC English grade for a waiver, because most Canadian universities don't publish one. We check the exact policy for each university on your shortlist.
Yes. Study permit holders can generally work up to 24 hours a week during term time and full-time during scheduled breaks, subject to permit conditions. It helps with living costs and adds Canadian work experience to your CV, though it's not a substitute for financial planning.
The rules changed on 21 January 2025. Your spouse can apply for a family open work permit if you're enrolled in a Master's programme that runs for 16 months or longer, a doctoral programme, or a select professional or eligible programme (like law, medicine, or specific engineering degrees). Shorter Master's programmes and undergraduate programmes no longer qualify. Spouses in that situation would need to apply for a visitor visa or a work permit they qualify for on their own merits.
We help students apply across all our destinations. Each has its own guide with cities, post-study work rules, and pathway to residency.
Book a free consultation and we'll help you build a Canadian university shortlist that fits your goals, your grades, and your plans for after graduation.
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