latest Canada government rules/updates for Bachelor (undergraduate) studies and related policies in 2026
Shorter Study Permit Duration for Prerequisite/ESL Courses (2026 Update) 👉 Effective Feb 19, 2026 , Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) changed how study permits are issued for students coming to complete prerequisite courses (like ESL, upgrading) before a full Bachelor’s program : Now study permits for prerequisite courses are issued only for the length of the prerequisite + 90 days . Previously, permits included the prerequisite period plus an extra year . After completing the prerequisite course, students must apply for a new study permit for their Bachelor’s admission. If applied before expiry from within Canada, students can maintain legal status during processing. Impact: This helps IRCC better align permit validity to actual study purposes and reduces extended stays on short courses. 📅 2. PGWP Policy Clarified and Frozen for 2026 Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) — Key Points: IRCC has frozen the list of PGWP-eligible fields of st...