Hi everyone,
I just want to share my experience regarding a PGWP refusal I received.
To make a long story short, I finally ended up getting my PGWPfor 3 yrs as it was supposed to be, but here are the chronological events that happened a few months ago.
- I completed my Masters program in early January 2020 and I had my study permit and Co-Op work permit valid until March 30th, 2020.
- I completed my last course in the Fall 2019 semester and had received an 8 month paid internship opportunity at Bombardier Aeronautique from August 2019 to August 2020. It was 40 hrs a week and because of my Co-Op work permit, I was able to work and study at the same time.
- On March 13th, 2020, Quebec announced that due to COVID - 19 , all businesses with more than 200 employees in it must close immediately.
- I had planned to apply for my work permit at the border in the end of March and collect all documents from my university in the last 2 weeks of March, I even had planned leave at my internship for the same. I needed my course completion letter and letter of attestation from the university.
- On reaching out to my university the same day, March 13th, I learned that all Uni offices would be closed and there would be no way for me to collect my course completion letter until further notice. They said they will prepare an e copy of the same but it will take a minimum of 3 weeks.
- Worried that I will go out of status if I don't apply for my PGWP, on March 16th, I applied for my PGWP with IRCC without my course completion letter and wrote a letter in MS Word from myself, informing the IRCC that my university is closed and I cannot procure my Course completion letter before April. I submitted my application with unofficial transcripts and personal letter the same day.
- Mid May, I received an email asking me to upload my course completion letter saying my application was incomplete and the IRCC was asking me for my course completion letter. I uploaded the course completion letter which I received from my university at this time.
- May 25th, I receive the news that my application for PGWP was refused and the refusal letter mentioned that I was not a full-time student during my program of study.
- I found this strange because I always maintained a full-time status at my university except in my first semester as I had to repeat a course that I got a bad grade in. I had repeated this course a few semesters later and received a good grade, but my transcript mentioned that in my first semester, I took only 1 course, and the second course I received an 'MREP' grade which stands for 'Must repeat'.
- The refusal letter was scary and said I had to leave the country in 90 days unless I restored my status or I reapplied for my PGWP ($255 or something like that).
- May 26th, I contacted my university office, told them about my situation and was very worried. They asked me to send a web form inquiry on the IRCC website with my application number and upload an attestation letter which confirms that I maintained full-time status during all semesters of my study program.
- I called up the IRCC helpline number the same day and explained this situation and said I will be able to justify every semester of my study that I was a full-time student and that in the midst of a pandemic, they cannot ask me to leave the country. That too when I've lived here for 3 yrs, have all the necessary documentation and have not a single glitch in my application. They told me to send the webform with recent documents.
- Early June, I sent the web form with the Attestation letter attached and said it was unfair that my application was refused and I am confident that I maintained full-time status. I also mentioned that my home country had closed its airports to all international travel and there is no way for me to go back home, that too when there's a pandemic going on (COVID).
- June 10th, I received an email saying my Webform was received and that it was being forwarded to Processing office in Edmonton.
- June 14th, I received an email asking me to pay the open work permit fee of $100 as they had refunded my previous fees since my application was refused. I paid on the same day.
- June 16th, I received the approval of my PGWP for 3 years and my status was changed from refused to processing to approved.
So in short, if your application is refused, don't give up hope, try to contest the decision, hire a lawyer if necessary, fight for your application if you're confident you are not wrong. They have changed my application status from refused to approved and after almost a month of anguish, I finally feel relieved.
All the best for whatever you're applying for. The universe is on your side.
