New PGWP Refusal Rates Jumped to 21 Percent in 2025: IRCC Data

The data shared on LinkedIn by immigration lawyer Steven Meurrens covered PGWP applications (including extensions) processed by IRCC between January 1, 2023 and November 30, 2025.

The data shows that new PGWP applications, as opposed to extensions of existing permits, saw more refusals. It also breaks down which fields of study are leading to the most PGWPs, and which have lost the most ground.

Key Takeaways

• The approval rate for new PGWP applications fell from 87 percent in 2023 to 79 percent in the first 11 months of 2025.
• PGWP extensions have stayed largely stable, with approval rates only slipping from 98 percent to 97 percent in 3 years.
• Only 154,610 PGWPs were issued between January and November 2025. This was down 36.5 percent compared to the 243,780 PGWPs issued in 2023.
• Study programs for business, management, marketing, commerce, and support services, accounted for nearly 40 percent of all PGWPs issued in the first 11 months of 2025.

New PGWP Applications See the Sharpest Drop in Approvals

IRCC’s data listed approval and refusal rates of new Post Graduate Work Permits and PGWP extensions separately. The increase in refusal rates was more pronounced in new applications.

Approval rates for new PGWP applications held almost steady through 2023 and 2024, then dropped 9 percentage points in the first 11 months of 2025. Approvals for work permit extensions only declined marginally. This is not surprising because PGWP extensions are only permitted for applicants whose passports are set to expire before the full eligibility period for the PGWP. These applicants have already been vetted thoroughly, and the extension applications are straightforward.

Fewer PGWPs Are Being Issued Overall

The total number of PGWPs issued, including extensions, has also fallen. IRCC issued 243,780 in 2023 and 205,340 in 2024. Between January and November 2025, IRCC only issued 154,610 PGWPs.

The 2025 figure only covers 11 months, so it is not a complete year over year comparison. Even extrapolating for the full year, 2025 numbers are tracking close to 30 percent below the 2023 total.

The decline is not only due to increase in refusals, but also a drop in applicants. Fewer people are now eligible for PGWPs following eligibility changes IRCC introduced in 2024 to reduce Canada’s temporary resident population. Since November 1, 2024, most PGWP applicants need to meet new language proficiency requirements, generally Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 for university graduates and CLB 5 for college graduates. Graduates from most programs except university bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs also need to show that their field of study aligns with occupations facing long term labour shortages.

Business and Health Related Fields Are Holding Up Best

Business remains the largest source of PGWPs by a wide margin. In the first 11 months of 2025, Business, Management, Marketing and Related Support Services accounted for 33,150 permits, and Business/Commerce added another 29,110. Together, these two categories made up over 40 percent of all PGWPs issued so far in 2025.

Computing/IT came in third, with 23,290 permits issued over the same period. The next largest categories were Other (13,280), Arts/Humanities/Social Science (12,055), and Sciences, Health (11,685).

Business, Management, Marketing and Related Support Services saw the smallest decline of any major field, down 21.1 percent since 2023. Sciences, Health and Arts/Humanities/Social Science saw less than 30 percent declines. Applied science, general science, and fine arts programs saw the steepest drops, losing roughly half their 2023 volume.

What This Means for You

If you already hold a PGWP and are applying for an extension, your odds of getting an approval remain high.

If you are applying for a new PGWP, submit a complete application within the stipulated timeframe, with all supporting documents included. Don’t forget your language test results, since these are now a standard requirement for most applicants.

If you are still choosing a study program with a PGWP in mind, confirm that your program is either a university degree program, or, if it is a college program, that it is an eligible field of study.

PGWP rules, including eligible study programs, can change anytime. Sign up for the Moving2Canada newsletter to keep up with PGWP and other immigration updates.