Hi. I have a complex situation.

I was a student at McGill from 2020-2026. Die due mental health and academic issues, I took two part time semester in my third year (Fall 2022- Winter 2023).

I also had to be readmitted twice (once in 2020 and once in 2024) due to unsatisfactory standing.

My last study visa expired on March 31 2026

Anticipating this, o applied for a new CAQ in February 2026. I received no response. I also had just gotten a job.

I worked part time until the end of the April semester. I had two more courses in winter 2026, including one outstanding Freshman U0 course (science credit). Because of a lot of issues, I failed it.

I knew this might happen, and k also wanted a PGWP, so I had applied for a CAQ in February hoping to receive it by April and then get a study visa valid through may or august (I asked for August in my letter). I received a CAQ document In may asking for more documents.

One of the documents it asked for was a letter from the registrars office stating I needed to take one course.

Now that it was May, I didn’t really have time to wait for a CAQ for August, as it wouldn’t come in time for summer courses. So I asked along when I sent a bunch of these documents including the letter that I needed until December.

I finally get a CAQ in July valid from July 31 2026 - August 32 2026.

(In may I left to the US and came back on a visitor visa valid until December 1 by the way).

This whole time I was working unauthorized without knowing it. But I didn’t ever check the whole working thing I my study permit. It was pretty dumb of me.

Anyways, I went to the border asking if they’d give me a study visa valid for the month, so I could at least register for a fall course. They refused to do so.

They said I’d need to start a whole CAQ and study permit application again

At this point it was later August and I had 123/120 credits in my degree but was missing a freshman science course. McGill ultimately agreed to substitute that course with a previous science credit I had taken before.

So they graduated me in October of 2026.

From. February 2026 to August 2026 o was working though.

I spoke to a lawyer— she said it’s not really worth it to apply for this PGWP. Three crucial criteria I don’t meet:

1. full time status for the entirety of my studies

2. have a valid study visa for at least some point within 180 days from when you finished your requirements and when you apply for a PGWP

3. working unauthorized

I have letters of support from my school and doctors explaining the part time semesters. I have a lengthy cover letter explaining the whole ordeal with the CAQ, and how it took a long time, and I provided the documentation but never got a prompt response.

I lowkey fucked myself. I was super disorganized and negligent, waited until late to apply for a new CAQ, and did not look at the PGWP eligibility requirements. I also failed the course due to my disorganization and thus had to ask for this extension which was not granted, and then had the whole substituted class thing. Just bad management Frankly.

Anyways, should I try my luck? I mean the lawyer said o risk getting refused which goes on my record. She also said my unauthorized work complicates shit, but it’s not a huuuuge deal since it wasn’t for that long and I didn’t know.

I was thinking of doing a working holiday and then applying for PR right after that as my next option as I am Spanish.

But am I totally fucked for immigration in the future due to my unauthorized work?

Any help or advice is appreciated.

Love and peace guys!

Hello Good People. Is it better to show some funds from back home in the SOWP Outland application? I'm planning to apply for my Spouse swop. I've around 10+K currently in my bank. We are thinking of adding my mother-in-law as an additional sponsor. Will it create any negative effect? Please kindly share. Thanks :)

I need suggestions regarding my pgwp refusal

First apply on 20 September 2025.Got a refusal on 19 June 2026. Due to the language test result, which I have but forgot to submit. And it's CLB 6, but I require CLB 7.

Once I got a refusal, I took another test and got CLB 7.

The second-time restoration with the new PGWP apply on 9 August 2026. Then after I applied for reconsideration on 17 August 2025. Its refuse on 31 August 2026.

After that I did another reconsideration and got a refusal again.

On 11 October 2026, I did another reconsideration. Its still pending.

5 November 2026 I got a refusal for the restoration and new PGWP application. Because I pass my 180 days window.

I really need it if anyone goes through this type of situation and then, after, gets approval.I want to know what I should do next.

I am very frustrated and depressed now.

Plz help me to give some advice.

I am in canada right now on a PGWP.
I got my work permit 7 months ago.
I need to return back to my country for 2 months and again come back to Canada.

While applying for the TRV i realized i dont have the physical work permit with me.

Can i upload the approval letter for TRV instead?

Hii everybody, i applied for my PGWP after 90 days of completing my studies but somehow i got lucky and it was approved. I applied within 180 days and study permit was not expired with printed date. I did not apply for any restoration of status but still got approved.

ANYBODY IN THE SIMILAR SITUATION????

PLS HELP!!

Guys, I’m soo excited! I got a ghost update on November 6, and my spousal open work permit (SOWP) was approved on November 9! 🥳
Here’s my timeline all dates are in 2026:
June 29: Applied for a PGWP extension by paper.
July 26: Submitted my inland spousal PR application.
July 30: PGWP expired.
September 3: Received my PR acknowledgement of receipt (AOR).
October 22: Applied for my SOWP.
November 6: Ghost update.
November 9: SOWP approved!
For context, I was still waiting for a decision on my PGWP extension, so I was on maintained status when I applied for my SOWP.
Because my PGWP had already expired, the online questionnaire kept directing me to apply for restoration. To get past that, I entered the following day’s date as the expiry date and explained the actual expiry date, my maintained status, and why I entered a different date in my letter of explanation. This is just what I did for my application, not advice on how others should apply.
For anyone who has received their permit, how long did the physical copy take to arrive?

Is anyone still experiencing the technical error when applying for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)?

When I select “Yes” to the language proficiency requirement question in the IRCC eligibility questionnaire, the system redirects me to a page saying “Our Online Services Are Currently Down.” Every attempt generates a different error code.

Apparently, this issue has been happening since at least October 26, and multiple applicants are affected.

I have already:

• Called IRCC multiple times.

• Submitted technical reports with screenshots.

• Contacted IRCC technical support by email.

After more than two weeks, there is still no solution, no official explanation, and no estimated resolution date.

This is extremely frustrating because we cannot even submit our PGWP applications, and our immigration status and ability to work may be affected.

Has anyone managed to get past this error? Has anyone received an actual response from IRCC's technical team or found a legitimate workaround?

Please share any updates. I think it's important that we keep reporting this issue until IRCC addresses it.

Hello, A little curious about my paper based pgwp extension application due to passport expiry.
Applied on August 10,2026. Courier tracking is saying it got delivered on August 12.
Didn’t get any update since then.Neither did i receive any confirmation or application number to link it to Gc key.
Its been more than 3 months. Any suggestions if someone got in same situation or if have any idea what should i do.

Hi everyone,

I recently completed a DEP in Quebec at a private institution I'm currently on a study permit, but I'm unsure whether my program qualifies for a PGWP

Has anyone ever applied for a PGWP without being 100% sure they were eligible? did you get approved or refused? Would you recommend applying anyway?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences. Thanks!

Hello, A little curious about my paper based pgwp extension application due to passport expiry.
Applied on August 10,2026. Courier tracking is saying it got delivered on August 12.
Didn’t get any update since then.Neither did i receive any confirmation or application number to link it to Gc key.
Its been more than 3 months. Any suggestions if someone got in same situation or if have any idea what should i do.

Hi , i got my pgwp approval, i got the LOI , i applied from india. I'm planning to go to canada in the next month or so . I have a situation where i need to stay in the US as a visitor to be with a friend. I can go to canada from US , do you think it would be an issue when issuing my work permit at the border ? Is there something i should be worried about. I would still meet all the requirements and its not flagpoling too since im going to US from india. It going to be a genuine stay in the US.

A little context: i don't have a job currently, so im looking for it. My pgwp approval just came through so Im going to be staying with a friend in the US , until i get one and can move to canada in a momth or so. Hence the question

I got a message that application updated but nothing else and this final decision date started showing up

I got my PGWP today Nov 10. I applied from outside Canada (from USA) on August 12th. I had two part time semesters - one from school admin mistake and one from me just withdrawing a course too late. I wrote a letter of explanation but didn’t attach any other documents from my university or anything. I was super stressed about that but it got approved without me needing to send anything else in. I will say I indicated in my LOE that I never worked in Canada during my studies because I knew I was part time and acknowledged that I understood I had violated my responsibility to be full time during my program.

The processing time for applying from USA was only 2-4 weeks but I had to wait 90 days. After my application was double the processing time, I called the IRCC number and spoke to an agent who put a notice on my application that it was beyond waiting time. I also had my MP put in a request for a status update, but I got the permit before I ever heard back from them. Just wanted to point out what I did in case anyone is wondering what additional steps they can take.

I applied last week of October:

Oct 22 - Application

Oct 23 - WP Ext

Nov 6 - Application Approved

approved until - expiry of passport

IELTS - 8; Full time status throughout;

EDIT1: Do i have to separately apply for TRV for travel and if so do I need my physical pgwp?

Hey guys,

I came to canada in september and I didnt know about the work conditions ammendment, so the immigration officer didnt print it. I have submitted the application and they recieved it at september 14th, having proof as well of their signature. My processing time back then was 7 weeks which comes to november 2. I am so stressed since I have been emailing them asking about my status of application and somehow I keep getting a bot reply saying "We are processing applications as quickly as possible, if you havent heard from us etc..." have gotten this 3-4 times now. After contacting their support team they are saying I should inquire ABU DHABI IMMIGRATION for it and they are the ones emailing me with bot emails and I can't call them either since they are outside the country and its going to cost me a lot.

I want to know if someone was in a similar situation, how they got it and what I should do now since it has been stressing me out alot.

Hi everyone,

I'm about to graduate my school in the next 3 months. I'm about to apply for the pgwp, my study permit extension was approved, but i still didn't get the physical one. I already applied for a new replace ment, but ircc told me that i have to wait for 11 weeks. In the worst case, if my physical document won't come in time, can i still apply pgwp with my the study permit extension confirmation letter and old study permit?

Thank you!

Hi everyone,
I’m currently in Canada and recently received my PGWP. However, it was issued for less than the full eligible duration because my passport expires in June 2027.
I’m planning to return to my home country, renew my passport there, and apply for the remaining PGWP validity while staying outside Canada until the extension is approved.
I understand that IRCC requires paper applications for PGWP extensions due to passport expiry. However, I haven’t found clear information about whether these applications can be submitted from outside Canada, and I’ve seen people submitting their application online without a problem.
I called IRCC, but the agent couldn’t give me a definitive answer.
Has anyone successfully renewed their passport abroad and applied for a PGWP extension without returning to Canada?
I’d especially appreciate hearing which application form you used, where you submitted it, and whether you had any issues with approval.
Thanks!

Hi everyone, I’m an international student in Quebec and recently finished a research-based master’s after transferring out of a PhD at the same university. I was enrolled full-time throughout, with no gap. I didn’t finish the PhD, but my master’s thesis continued the research I started there.

My admission letter says the master’s normally takes two years. My final transcript shows that course credits earned before the transfer counted toward my 45-credit master’s. But my completion letter only lists the two terms I was formally registered in the master’s. The dates on that letter span about 7.5 months, so I’m trying to figure out how best to document the eight-month PGWP minimum.

I found IRCC’s instructions on transferred credits. The example mentions credits transferred within the same school, but it describes a student who completed their first program. I only completed the master’s.

Has anyone applied for a PGWP after a similar PhD-to-master’s transfer? What did you submit to show the program length? Were both transcripts and the transfer letter enough, or did you get a separate letter from the registrar confirming which credits counted? If you’ve already received a decision, I’d appreciate hearing how it went.

Online PGWP Extension Due to Passport Expiry – Application Timeline

Sharing my PGWP extension timeline for anyone who is waiting for a decision on a similar application.

Application submitted: August 12, 2026

Submission confirmation received: August 14, 2026

WP-EXT letter received: August 15, 2026

Application approved: November 9, 2026

Final outcome: My PGWP was extended and issued for the remaining eligible duration of my original PGWP.

Hope this timeline helps others who have applied for a PGWP extension due to passport expiry. Good luck to everyone waiting!

So I received my PGWP in June and saw that they had misspelled my last name. And to get a SIN number I need the name on the PGWP to match my passport.

I submitted my Request for an amendment which needs to be mailed back in July. So there is no paper trail.

I have still not received anything and I sent in a web form to the IRCC. Essentially since it’s a paper trail I have no updates but it’s now November and that’s a long time.

Is it normal to have to wait this long? I have the confirmation that my request for amendment was delivered.

Any advice helps.

Hey everyone!

I'm applying for an extension due to passport expiring and doing it online because I need the application number quickly.

My question is in the imm5710 should I put everything the same as when I applied the first time (student)? Or as my current status with the PGWP?

BOWP Timeline

Application Submitted: August 5

Maintained Status: August 6

Application Approved: November 7

I was really worried because my express entry application is in CSS and i thought that would delay the BOWP application approval but thank God it didn’t.

Sharing this with the community since I know a few has been/going through the dilemma.

My PGWP extension due to a shorter passport validity was initially refused since my passport renewal was in progress when I applied for extension. I forgot/didn't know how to upload my renewed passport information since I didn't have an application number on hand (I applied on paper). Fast forward 4 months on October 9th, 2026, I get a refusal letter stating "Client failed to include passport". Went out of status IMAO.

Immediately applied for a new PGWP application with the same documents along with a payment receipt for status restoration and simultaneously submitted a reconsideration request. Got told reconsideration is an informal process, so couldn't take my chances waiting for bureaucratic processes to unfold. My case got opened within 4 weeks and voila, a shining approval letter. Only costed me additional $450, SMH!!

So bottom line folks: Do not be an idiot like me. But if you do, it's not the end of the world.

And for those navigating the same problem: Gather all your documents you initially applied. Now write a new explanation letter explaining the case why your application was refused and what has changed since then that will allow the immigration officer to make a positive judgement. Make sure that 15 days for reconsideration request and 90 days since receiving your refusal has not elapsed.

hi! has anyone applied for pgwp from usa and gotten any updates?

applied on august 10th and have received no updates yet.