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We are going to answer the TOP 20 Post-Graduate Work Permit question for international students who have graduated from Canadian public post-secondary or accredited post-secondary programs. This is an in-depth question & answer article, so if you’re not familiar with a PGWP already, some of this content may be confusing as we deal with what we call ‘mind twisting’ immigration questions, for which sometimes there are no clear answers on the IRCC website.
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Yes. The official IRCC answer to this (which may sound unusual to you) is to apply for PGWP and restoration of status at the same time. The reason for this is that you don’t know 100% if your study permit extension will be approved or when this approval is going to happen.
If it is not approved, the restoration application will be processed at the same time as the PGWP. If the study permit renewal application is processed and approved the IRCC will not process your restoration but rather only your PGWP application and the restoration application fee will be refunded to you.
You can work until the day your college or university confirms that you have completed your program. If there is a gap between your completion confirmation from the school and receiving your final transcript to apply for your PGWP, then you are not authorized to work during that ‘gap period’. The shorter you can make the gap period the better. Remember to push your school to get all your documents in order. Even if you have a gap period until you apply for your PGWP, you can continue to work when you have applied for it (from the same day).
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No. You need to wait to have your PGWP in hand before you can apply for your provincial health coverage.
Yes, it’s possible. You will not be authorized to work while you wait for your PGWP if you leave the country, but you are authorized to apply from outside Canada within 180 days of program completion.
Yes. Similar answer to question #4, You will not be authorized to work while you wait for your PGWP if you leave the country and re-enter. So, you will lose the work authorization during the “maintained status” period.
PGWP extensions are not possible unless the government has specific policies to allow international students to extend it, which they have done this year and in previous years. Currently, there is a policy from the government that allows you to extend your PGWP if you meet the eligibility criteria. Check out this IRCC link, click here.
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You only need your confirmation of completion of the program and your final transcripts. You don’t need the actual diploma, certificate, or degree copy to apply for a PGWP.
Yes, if you did not lose status before you applied.
I applied for my PGWP in August 2022. I received a PDF document from IRCC saying that "you are authorized to work for any employer, in any occupation with no restriction on hours until November 10th, 2022 or until a decision is made on your application, whichever is first". It’s now November 10th and I still haven't received a decision. Do I need to stop working?
As per section 186(w)(ii) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, you can legally work until a decision is made on your PGWP application. The date on these letters often confuses people however under the section noted above, you are legally authorized to continue working:
Officers should understand that the validity date of the letter in no way overrides the authority of paragraph R186(w), which allows foreign nationals who meet the requirements to continue working until a final decision is made on their work permit application.
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Yes, the main applicant will need to provide 2 pay stubs, working in a NOC 0, A, or B (TEER 0,1, 2 and 3 as per New NOC CODE system) to become eligible for your spouse or partner to apply for an open work permit.
No, due to special measures, IRCC will not take enforcement actions against you for unauthorized work. However, you must disclose your unauthorized work in the IMM 5710 form when applying for the 18-Month PGWP Extension.
IRCC instituted a policy that waives the regulatory prohibition of Work Permit issuance under p. R200 (3)(e) when there has been an authorized work or study, unless the applicant has engaged in unauthorized work for an employer described in s. 196.1 of the IRPR. Under s. 196.1 a foreign national must not enter into an employment agreement, or extend the term of an employment agreement, with an employer:
(a) who, on a regular basis, offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages; or
(b) referred to in any of subparagraphs 200(3)(h)(i) to (iii).
If you do work unauthorized and want to re-apply to Canada, you can do so after 6 months have passed after you have left Canada.
If you do not receive an email from IRCC by mid-September, you are not eligible to have your work permit extended through this special process for another reason, such as information that has been added to your file about your admissibility to Canada that will need further review. You may still apply online to extend your work permit.
You will need to apply online for a work permit. Applications open on August 2, 2022. If you are in Canada and your temporary status has also expired, you must apply to restore your status at the same time. Under these special measures, you are allowed to restore your status, even if it expired more than 90 days ago. You are eligible to apply from abroad if you have left Canada and return after being approved.
You are only eligible to apply from overseas if it is within 180 days from program completion.
If you graduated from a Canadian post-secondary institution and are applying for a post-graduation work permit from outside Canada, you must indicate this on your Application form for a work permit made from outside Canada (IMM 1295):
In the section “Details of intended work in Canada”:
Question 1: Choose “Open Work Permit”
Question 2a (Name of employer): Write “Post Graduate Work Permit”
No, you can't. Unfortunately, there's not much leniency from IRCC. Must apply within 180 days, with no exceptions.
Yes. if a temporary resident also applies for renewal of their work or study permit before the expiry of their existing permit and their permit expires before a decision is made, paragraph r186(u) or section r189 authorizes them to work or study without a permit under the same conditions pending a determination of their application for renewal and only as long as the person remains in canada.
Yes. Right now as of November 2022, this is a paper application process.
The IRCC officers in Edmonton will review your eligibility, your program duration, and the credits you have completed while being a full-time student, they can use their discretion to issue you a 2 or 3-year PGWP. We have seen cases where classmates in the same exact program and the same conditions applied for their PGWP but they received different durations of their PGWP. It is not 100% guaranteed. If there is a mistake made by an officer on your PGWP, you can send a request through the web form to rectify it with supporting documentation and an explanation. This has been done before and works.
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Yes. You can re-apply but make sure you also do a restoration of status if your current status has expired with your PGWP re-application. We only suggest doing this if you believe 100% that there was a mistake in your PGWP processing. You can even apply for Judicial Review and contest the refusal in court if the leave is granted. I don’t recommend re-applying after being refused if you know you took time off or were not studying full time while inside Canada as an international student.
Check your province’s education regulations through the Ministry of Education. In Ontario for example, minors can continue to complete the academic year they are currently enrolled in even if the parents/guardians have lost their status (whether they are on a work permit or study permit)
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