Source: Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, has announced that foreign nationals can no longer apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) at the Canada-US border, effective immediately. This change aims to reduce “flagpoling,” a practice where temporary residents leave and re-enter Canada to bypass normal application wait times and receive same-day immigration services.

Flagpoling has been straining border resources, diverting officers from enforcement duties, and causing delays for other travelers and goods. From March 2023 to February 2024, PGWP applicants constituted about 20% of those attempting to flagpole.

The Canadian government is encouraging PGWP applicants to apply within Canada by improving processing times and modernizing the application system. This measure promotes fairness among applicants and supports smoother and more efficient border operations, benefiting both Canada and the US.