International students
Studying in Oshawa on a study permit
Oshawa is home to Ontario Tech University, Durham College and Trent University Durham GTA, and it has a larger share of temporary residents than Pickering, Ajax or Whitby. Our immigration law page covers every pathway; this page follows a student’s path from permit to permanent residence.
Getting and keeping the permit
Most new study permit applicants need a provincial attestation letter from their school. Since January 1, 2026, students in master’s or doctoral degree programs at a public designated learning institution don’t need one, and nor do students extending their permit in Canada at the same school and level of study. If you extend, IRCC must receive the application before your permit expires; you can then generally keep studying on the same conditions while it is decided.
Working while you study
An eligible full-time student at a designated learning institution can work off campus up to 24 hours a week during academic sessions, and without a weekly limit during scheduled breaks such as summer. The permit must allow off-campus work, and you need a social insurance number. Working more than you are allowed can cost you a post-graduation work permit later, so keep your own record of hours.
When things go wrong
A failed term, a switch to part-time study, a change of program or an expired permit can each affect your status. Speak to us before you make the change, not after: the options are usually wider beforehand.
After graduation
The post-graduation work permit: rules that changed
A post-graduation work permit (PGWP) is an open work permit, and for many graduates it is the bridge to permanent residence. You only get one, so the application has to be right.
The basic conditions
You must apply within 180 days of confirmation that you completed your program, and your study permit must have been valid at some point in those 180 days. The program must have been at least eight months long at an eligible institution. IRCC’s PGWP eligibility page sets out the full list.
Language and field of study
For applications made on or after November 1, 2024, graduates must show language test results: Canadian Language Benchmark 7 in all four skills for university programs, and CLB 5 for college programs. College graduates, and university graduates of programs other than bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees, must also have studied in an eligible field. Degree graduates are exempt from the field-of-study requirement. Check your program before you enrol in a second one, not after graduation.
Working while you wait
You can work full-time while the PGWP application is processed if your study permit was valid when you applied, you had completed your program, and you were eligible to work off campus and stayed within your hours. Apply before the study permit expires to keep that right. If it has already expired, you may have 90 days to apply and restore your status, but you can’t work until the permit is approved.
Why Wannes Law
A Toronto law firm that keeps you informed
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A licensed Ontario lawyer
Rosalie Wannes, licensed by the Law Society of Ontario, is responsible for your file from start to finish.
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Fees before you commit
Instant online quotes and published flat fees, so you know the cost before you retain us.
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Every step explained
Plain-language explanations of what happens, what you provide and what we handle, at every stage.
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Direct access
Reach your lawyer and law clerk directly by phone and email while your matter is underway.
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Sign in person or remotely
Meet at our Sheppard Ave E office in Toronto, or review documents by video and courier the originals.
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English, Armenian and Arabic
Talk through your matter in the language you are most comfortable with.
The long view
From Oshawa student to permanent resident
No step guarantees the next one, and the programs change often. Planning from the first year keeps the most doors open.
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Step 1: Choose a program that keeps a PGWP open
Program length, field of study and the institution all affect PGWP eligibility, and the language test you will need depends on whether it is a college or university program.
You provide
- Letter of acceptance and program details
- Your study permit and any attestation letter
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Step 2: Protect your status while you study
Stay enrolled full-time, keep within the off-campus work limit, and extend your study permit before it expires if your program runs longer.
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Step 3: Gain skilled Canadian work experience
The Canadian Experience Class needs at least one year of skilled work in Canada (TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3) in the three years before you apply, gained while authorized to work. Work done while you were a full-time student doesn’t count, and neither does self-employment.
We handle
- Matching your duties to the right occupation code
- Reference letters that prove the experience
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Step 4: Apply for permanent residence
Through Express Entry, where since March 25, 2025 a job offer no longer adds points, or through Ontario’s nominee program, which since June 26, 2026 runs through a single Ontario Workforce Priority stream built around job offers from Ontario employers. Our permanent residence page explains both.
In Oshawa
Local support, and when to call a lawyer
In the 2021 Census, 1.5% of Oshawa residents in private households were non-permanent residents, a group that includes work and study permit holders and refugee claimants. That compares with about 1.0% in Pickering and Ajax and 0.6% in Whitby (Statistics Canada, Census Profile: Oshawa).
Free help in Oshawa
- The Oshawa Clarington location of Welcome Centre Immigrant Services, for help with forms, housing, health cards and English classes
- Your school’s international student office, for enrolment letters, program questions and campus supports
- The Durham Immigration Portal, for jobs and settlement information across the region
Call a lawyer when
- A study permit or PGWP is refused
- Your permit has expired, or will before you can apply
- You worked more hours than allowed, or studied part-time
- You want to sponsor a spouse, or bring family to visit for graduation
Also for Oshawa graduates
- Buying a first home once you have PR: our Oshawa real estate page
- Other local services: our Oshawa page
Questions
Oshawa student and graduate questions
How many hours can I work off campus while studying in Oshawa?
Up to 24 hours a week during academic sessions, and without a weekly limit during scheduled breaks, if you are an eligible full-time student and your permit allows off-campus work. The rule is the same everywhere in Canada.
I finished a college diploma. Do I qualify for a PGWP?
Possibly. College graduates who apply on or after November 1, 2024 need CLB 5 language results in all four skills and a program in an eligible field of study, as well as meeting the general rules: an eligible program of at least eight months, and an application within 180 days.
My study permit expires before my PGWP decision. Can I keep working?
Yes, if you applied for the PGWP before your study permit expired, had completed your program, and were eligible to work off campus without exceeding your hours. You can keep working full-time until IRCC decides.
Does my part-time job during school count toward the Canadian Experience Class?
No. Work done while you were a full-time student doesn’t count. Skilled work after graduation, on a PGWP or another work permit, can.
My study permit expired before I applied for a PGWP. Is it too late?
Not necessarily. You may be able to apply for the PGWP within 90 days after your study permit expired and restore your status at the same time, as long as you are still within 180 days of completing your program. You can’t work until the new permit is approved.
Do you have an office in Oshawa?
No. Our office is at 3319 Sheppard Ave E, Suite 103, in Toronto. Consultations are by phone, and documents can be exchanged by email.
Can my spouse work while I study in Oshawa?
Only in limited cases. Since January 2025, open work permits for spouses of students are limited to spouses of students in certain graduate and professional programs. Check eligibility before your spouse plans around it.
Areas We Serve
Immigration advice across Durham and the GTA
Phone consultations wherever you study, work or live.
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Scarborough
Immigration lawyer for Scarborough clients. Our office is on Sheppard Ave E.
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North York
Immigration lawyer for North York clients.
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Markham
Immigration lawyer for Markham clients.
Here to help
Plan the permit before the deadline.
Book a free 15-minute call, or tell us about your application in the quote form.
Prefer to talk now? Call (647) 707-7718 · Service in English, Armenian and Arabic