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Post Graduate Work Permit Processing Time (PGWP)

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keyboat1

Full Member
Jul 21, 2019
44
9
keyboat1 said:
seeing you guys get accepted within 70 80 90 days is really great. my application its been 95 days now.
hit the 3 month mark on sept 11th.. still nothing. i applied for PGWP + status restoration fee (my study permit expired 11 days before my letter of completion of my studies came out)

really want this work permit to come out, i cannot work so i am having a really hard time renting a place, i am getting kicked out of my only home here now because my roommate is moving in his brother instead of me and he was the one that brought me here, i have no idea how i will find a new place without an occupation/stable income listed, and i cant work until i get my work permit approved... this rule really sucks, i was supposed to be working this whole past 3 months but my girlfriend has been helping me out with finances, i just feel so defeated right now. its a good thing forums like this exist to give me hope because otherwise i would have been really hopeless. no friends or family, stuck at home for 3 months then getting kicked out... broke my new pixel 7 pro within 3 months of getting it and then i was using my iphone 6 and i broke that too. not even a smartphone to help me get by. a bit of a massive rant but it just sucks life is a bit tough right now and i literally have nowhere else to vent but here. hopefully by leaving this here i can post in the future about getting approved and whoever was (Hopefully no one ever) in my situation will have some hope

sorry for the drama
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Update: I was just informed by my older brother back home that my father in Jordan had a stroke and lost control of his left side of his body. I feel that it is very important that I might have to leave Canada to visit my family back home to support them during this difficult time. I am currently in Canada waiting on a decision to be made on my PGWP and status restoration application.
I will need a Temporary Resident Visa I assume, to re-enter Canada.
I applied for PGWP June 11th, 2023 alongside status restoration as my study permit expired on May 30th, 2023 along with my previous TRV, and I have not been working since.
Can I apply for a new TRV to re-enter Canada before a decision has been made on my work permit? I applied on June 11th, 2023 and raised a webform with my renewed passport on September 9th for my PGWP.

I would really appreciate assistance during this time, and I thank you for taking the time to read if you made it all the way here.

Due to my deteriorating mental state, I was also wondering if someone could shed some light on where I can start with mental health support. I live in BC and currently on an expired status (paid and waiting for a decision to be made on my PGWP + status restoration).
 
C

ceejay132

Hero Member
Feb 1, 2020
463
188
Hello everyone.

If my study permit ends in December for example and I'm done with my studies now, can I wait till December to apply for PGWP or do I need to apply immediately my study ends?
 
K

keyboat1

Full Member
Jul 21, 2019
44
9
ceejay132 said:
Hello everyone.

If my study permit ends in December for example and I'm done with my studies now, can I wait till December to apply for PGWP or do I need to apply immediately my study ends?
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there is no requirement to when you apply for a pgwp as you can for 180 days after your study permit expires. you can apply as long as you have your letter of completion and official transcript, as well as a valid passport, from finishing your studies. once those become available you will likely have all the documents you need for the PGWP application (must fill pgwp application form of course). so whether you choose to apply sooner or later is up to you, but i would recommend doing it as soon as you can. you can apply for PGWP after study permit expires by 180 days of receiving those papers I mentioned. however if your study permit expired before applying for PGWP like me then you must apply within 90 days of study permit expiry and pay a status restoration fee + stop working while on expired status until a decision has been made on the work permit.
i applied in June 11th 2023 and still waiting
 
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ceejay132

Hero Member
Feb 1, 2020
463
188
keyboat1 said:
you can apply as long as you have your letter of completion and official transcript from finishing your studies. once those become available you will likely have all the documents you need for the PGWP application. so whether you choose to apply sooner or later is up to you, but i would recommend doing it as soon as you can.
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Thank you for your fast response...

I wanted to know if there would be like a penalty for late application as I heard that you MUST stop working and apply immediately you receive your letter of completion.
 
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K

keyboat1

Full Member
Jul 21, 2019
44
9
ceejay132 said:
Thank you for your fast response...

I wanted to know if there would be like a penalty for late application as I heard that you MUST stop working and apply immediately you receive your letter of completion.
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no problem :) there is no strict penalty for applying for PGWP before your study permit expires, the must stop working rule (applied to me.. unfortunately this is my case) happens if your study permit expires before applying for PGWP. in that case you have 90 days to stay in canada to apply for status restoration + PGWP Application fee
you also have 180 days once you receive the papers to apply for PGWP after your study permit expires but you would have to leave Canada if you didn't apply within the 90 day window
 
C

ceejay132

Hero Member
Feb 1, 2020
463
188
keyboat1 said:
no problem :) there is no strict penalty for applying for PGWP before your study permit expires, the must stop working rule (applied to me.. unfortunately this is my case) happens if your study permit expires before applying for PGWP. in that case you have 90 days to stay in canada to apply for status restoration + PGWP Application fee
you also have 180 days once you receive the papers to apply for PGWP after your study permit expires but you would have to leave Canada if you didn't apply within the 90 day window
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So are you saying that if I apply now and my study permit ends in December, I can continue working because my study permit is still valid?
Is there website that sheds more light on this?
 
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K

keyboat1

Full Member
Jul 21, 2019
44
9
ceejay132 said:
So are you saying that if I apply now and my study permit ends in December, I can continue working because my study permit is still valid?
Is there website that sheds more light on this?
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"You can work full-time while waiting for a decision on your post-graduation work permit (PGWP) application if, at the time you submitted your application, all of the following applied to your situation:

  • You had a valid study permit.
  • You had completed your program of study.
  • You were eligible to work off campus without a permit.
  • You did not work off campus more than 20 hours a week during academic sessions.
reference: https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=1181&top=15


i suggest applying immediately as "You’re no longer eligible to work from the day after your Letter of Completion becomes available. You must stop working until you have submitted your PGWP application with a valid study permit and within 90 days of completion and you also meet certain conditions (see below). "

reference for the above quote: https://students.ubc.ca/career/working-canada/post-graduation-work-permit#:~:text=You're no longer eligible,certain conditions (see below).
 
Last edited:
hussainkestrel

hussainkestrel

Hero Member
Sep 1, 2017
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ceejay132 said:
So are you saying that if I apply now and my study permit ends in December, I can continue working because my study permit is still valid?
Is there website that sheds more light on this?
Click to expand...
No, it says on the website of CIC that you must stop working as soon as you get confirmation from your university that you have met degree requirements. As soon as you apply for the PGWP, you can start working again. Regardless of whether your study permit is valid or not, you must stop working. Went through the same thing and did a lot of research on this
 
C

ceejay132

Hero Member
Feb 1, 2020
463
188
hussainkestrel said:
No, it says on the website of CIC that you must stop working as soon as you get confirmation from your university that you have met degree requirements. As soon as you apply for the PGWP, you can start working again. Regardless of whether your study permit is valid or not, you must stop working. Went through the same thing and did a lot of research on this
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Ok. Thanks alot
 
J

justaguy12

Full Member
Jul 8, 2023
44
13
dsaha203 said:
Got PGWP today.
Timeline:
App submitted: Aug 26
Bio-metric request : Aug 28th
Bio-metric submitted: Aug 29th
Correspondence letter: Sep 26th
Approval: Sep 27th
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Congrats! That's pretty fast. Applied July 6th, Biometrics request Aug 31st, submitted 5 minutes later and haven't heard back. Hopefully soon!
 
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