Will my PGWP be effected if I took leave of absence for semester?

[Dkumar56]

Hi, I am an international student here too. I also took leave of absence and I work full time in approximately two months. I took LOA in may 2021. I took LOA after I finished my 3rd semester. I have 3 more semesters to go. Will this LOA impact my PGWP. I am really scared as I didn't knew that I can't work full time during LOA. Any leads will be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Dkumar56]

Hi,

I am studying a master program in Concordia University and have hold a full-time status in every semester except in the summer 2018 when I took a leave of absence. Summer semester is not a mandatory semester in Concordia and it is considered as a regularly scheduled break. Anyway, on that time I went to the international office of Concordia and they told me to be able to work full time in the summer you need to take a leave of absence otherwise you have to work part-time and I took the leave and worked full-time the whole summer and then again I registered for the fall semester and I worked part-time. So I was a full-time student in the winter before summer and in the fall after the summer. Now I read the IRCC website and they say that student who took an authorized leave of absence may be eligible for PGWP but if you take a leave you should not work on or off campus during the leave. "You can’t work on or off campus during an authorized leave from your study program, even if your study permit says you’re allowed to work in Canada."

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/study-permit/prepare-arrival/study-permit-conditions.html#s01.1

This statement made me anxious and I went to the international office and asked them again. They explained that for the summer 2018 that I took the leave I had to take the leave to work full time, but then the rule changed and student who want to work full time in the summer don't have to take a leave and they can work full time while registered in the summer semester. They also told me because summer is a regularly scheduled break I won't face a problem with IRCC in terms of PGWP. Now my question is : Are they telling me the truth? is their understanding of the rule is correct?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Regards,

Hi ehsan
I am also in same situation, I took LOA in this summer i.e. may 2021 and worked full time and in fall I will be returning to college as full time student and will be graduating by this fall. Will the LOA I took cause any problem in PGWP. I took LOA in summer. I am from seneca college.

 

[canuck78]

Hi ehsan
I am also in same situation, I took LOA in this summer i.e. may 2021 and worked full time and in fall I will be returning to college as full time student and will be graduating by this fall. Will the LOA I took cause any problem in PGWP. I took LOA in summer. I am from seneca college.

Was the summer semester a scheduled break? Did all the students in your program have no classes?

 

[ehsan3001]

Hi ehsan
I am also in same situation, I took LOA in this summer i.e. may 2021 and worked full time and in fall I will be returning to college as full time student and will be graduating by this fall. Will the LOA I took cause any problem in PGWP. I took LOA in summer. I am from seneca college.

Hey,

what happened is happened. Just hope for the best. They didn’t reject me and hopefully won’t reject you. Summer was a kind of scheduled break at our university at that time, but the officers usually are not very strict about this kind of leaves. Hopefully, they won’t reject your application.

 

[ehsan3001]

Hi ehsan
I am also in same situation, I took LOA in this summer i.e. may 2021 and worked full time and in fall I will be returning to college as full time student and will be graduating by this fall. Will the LOA I took cause any problem in PGWP. I took LOA in summer. I am from seneca college.

You’d better consult with an immigration lawyer.

 

[Dkumar56]

Was the summer semester a scheduled break? Did all the students in your program have no classes?
[/

My friends attended the summer semester so I don't think it was a schedule break. But I have 3 more semester to go for my graduation considering this fall semester. So will it impact my PGWP?. I started my studies in may2020 and I took break in may 2021.

 

[canuck78]

My friends attended the summer semester so I don't think it was a schedule break. But I have 3 more semester to go for my graduation considering this fall semester. So will it impact my PGWP?. I started my studies in may2020 and I took break in may 2021.

If it wasn’t a scheduled break then yes it will likely be an issue for PGWP and you weren’t allowed to work during that period.

 

[Dkumar56]

So what should I do now? While taking break I asked my student advisor if I am eligible for break so she said as I have completed more than 2 semester as full time so I am eligible to take break. So I did.

 

[ehsan3001]

My friends attended the summer semester so I don't think it was a schedule break. But I have 3 more semester to go for my graduation considering this fall semester. So will it impact my PGWP?. I started my studies in may2020 and I took break in may 2021.

You can simply ask your student office to make sure if summer is a scheduled break or not. If it is not a scheduled break, your application for PGWP will likely be rejected. You should then prepare an honest explanation letter and apply for reconsideration. Hopefully, they will reconsider and won’t reject you. Be prepared for everything, but don’t panic!

 

[canuck78]

So what should I do now? While taking break I asked my student advisor if I am eligible for break so she said as I have completed more than 2 semester as full time so I am eligible to take break. So I did.

Many student advisors are not knowledgeable about immigration. Agree that you need to find out whether this was a scheduled break where your classmates were also off this semester.

 

[ehsan3001]

So what should I do now? While taking break I asked my student advisor if I am eligible for break so she said as I have completed more than 2 semester as full time so I am eligible to take break. So I did.

Do you have any proofs for this conversation? An email, a letter? If not, can you get one?
An email from your advisor will save you…if you show that it wasn’t your fault and the decision you made was based on an advice from your college, then the officer will consider your excuse for sure. I have seen people who were rejected once, got approved with a letter a explanation which included all the reasoning and supporting emails

 

[Dkumar56]

Do you have any proofs for this conversation? An email, a letter? If not, can you get one?
An email from your advisor will save you…if you show that it wasn’t your fault and the decision you made was based on an advice from your college, then the officer will consider your excuse for sure. I have seen people who were rejected once, got approved with a letter a explanation which included all the reasoning and supporting emails

Yes I have the email from saved with me. She clearly said you are eligible to take the break.
Also in my unofficial transcript it doesn't shows that I took LOA this summer. Like if you take LOA, they write that on transcript that during this semeter the student took LOA.

 

[ehsan3001]

Yes I have the email from saved with me. She clearly said you are eligible to take the break.
Also in my unofficial transcript it doesn't shows that I took LOA this summer. Like if you take LOA, they write that on transcript that during this semeter the student took LOA.

Then no need to be worried. Write an explanation letter and attach whatever proofs you have. Clearly explain that it was your advisor who made the impression that you could take the break. Collect as many as proofs as possible. Ask your other classmates who took a leave and have any sort of proofs to share with you. Apply normally for your PGWP and hope for the best. If they reject you, then apply for reconsideration through webform and attach your letter of explanation.

 

[ehsan3001]

Yes I have the email from saved with me. She clearly said you are eligible to take the break.
Also in my unofficial transcript it doesn't shows that I took LOA this summer. Like if you take LOA, they write that on transcript that during this semeter the student took LOA.

Also, when applying for PGWP, get a status letter from your college in which they say you were a full time student at all time. If your transcript doesn’t show your leave of absence, you are safe and you do not need to explain anything.

 

[Dkumar56]

Then no need to be worried. Write an explanation letter and attach whatever proofs you have. Clearly explain that it was your advisor who made the impression that you could take the break. Collect as many as proofs as possible. Ask your other classmates who took a leave and have any sort of proofs to share with you. Apply normally for your PGWP and hope for the best. If they reject you, then apply for reconsideration through webform and attach your letter of explanation.

Yes one of my friend also took LOA during this summer and he also asked the advisor about the break. She said yes to him also.

Btw I can share you my Convo with her if you want so that you could have better clarity and that would help me feel relaxed. I can share my number or insta Id.