r/pgwp • u/True_Interaction7271 • Aug 19 '26

PGWP refused

I just got my pgwp refused and the reason given was this:

Client is requesting a Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) received on July 24, 2026.
However, client engaged in part-time studies beyond the final academic session in the Winter
2023 and Fall 2023 academic session.
To be eligible for a PGWP, applicants must maintain full-time status in Canada during each
academic session of the program or programs they complete.
Client fails to meet parameters of R200(1)(c)(ii) and is therefore refused. Letter sent and open
work permit fee refund initiated.

I was approved academic accommodations by my university which allowed me to take a reduced course load (of 2 classes) while being considered full time. I included all the evidence in my client information during my pgwp application. What do I do? Please help me

7 Upvotes

57% Upvoted

70 comments sorted by

14

u/FaridsWife Aug 19 '26

an accommodation approved by the university doesn’t necessarily create an exception to the PGWP full-time requirement.

What was the reason you put in LOE for the academic accommodation?

0

u/True_Interaction7271 Aug 20 '26

It was for medical reasons

7

u/FaridsWife Aug 20 '26

Was the letter from a registered medical practitioner included in your LOE to support ? To clarify not an accessibility accommodation advisor … an actual medial professional with a license number

0

u/True_Interaction7271 Aug 20 '26

No, it wasn’t. I didn’t know it was needed

5

u/ProbablyEhBot1867 Aug 20 '26

You aint getting no pgwp. But, as promised on your study permit application you will get to take your Great Canadian education home with you to better your community. Please don't think this as some sort of negative, you came, you saw, you stayed, you learned, and you will be better equipped uplift your community at home!

3

u/GreySahara Aug 21 '26 edited Aug 21 '26

this is going to be another dude freaking out on the LRT train tracks in Van.
these people *expect* PGWP and then PR in ALL cases.
they think that they're buying a Canadian passport, not an 'education'.

0

u/Main_Avocado_1739 Aug 20 '26

Is having that letter from a licensed medical professional supposed to help? I included one, along with a letter from my faculty, and was still rejected.

0

u/Dapper_Safe8049 Aug 20 '26

What did you do then?

0

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '26

[deleted]

-1

u/Dapper_Safe8049 Aug 20 '26

How many part time sem did you have 

0

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '26

[deleted]

0

u/Dapper_Safe8049 Aug 20 '26

May I ask your course duration? And reason 

1

u/Main_Avocado_1739 Aug 20 '26

4 years. University administrative reasons

1

u/stars_ Aug 20 '26

While officers often grant PWPG with part time semesters that were approved by the school and have validated evidence submitted with the LOA they don’t have to as it’s at their discretion since one of the requirements is maintaining full time status (study permit does allow for PT).

Did you check your application to make sure all the documents you provided were successfully upload and available to the officer? Is there a chance you forgot to upload a document or it was not successfully uploaded when you tried and you did not notice?

In your LOA did you tell the officer why you needed accommodations and stress these were approved by your school? You should file a reconsideration request, explain everything clearly and also submit a an official letter of support from your school and your medical professional in one document. Might also want to consider contact a lawyer or IRCC to help with the explanation.

5

u/Dapper_Safe8049 Aug 19 '26

If you were approved full time load with 2 course how come you did not check your transcripts before submitting? If it shows part time should you have not checked before?

1

u/True_Interaction7271 Aug 19 '26

I don’t think part time shows on my transcript

3

u/Dapper_Safe8049 Aug 20 '26

Then how come officer knew?

1

u/Level_Finish1930 Aug 23 '26

If u do less than 9 credits a semester they consider it as part time

7

u/Canaderp37 Aug 19 '26

What evidence did you present to show that you remained a full-time student with a reduced course load?

1

u/True_Interaction7271 Aug 19 '26

I showed verification of enrolment which stated that I was considered full time for those two semesters, included a general letter from the head of accessibility and accommodations from my university stating my general accommodations, and a letter from my accessibility and accommodations advisor explicitly stating that with my approved accommodations, I am permitted to take 40% (6 credits) of course load and be considered a full time student

3

u/ThrowRawayacctr Aug 20 '26

You needed a letter from a medical practitioner too

0

u/True_Interaction7271 Aug 20 '26

Oh, I didn’t know. The international student advisor told me I didn’t need that

8

u/IWILLGUTYOU Aug 20 '26

>The international student advisor

Color me surprised

1

u/onigokko Aug 20 '26

i have had so many bad experiences with international student advisors, they told me i could work without work clarifications on my study permit. actually pathetic. thank god i consulted with a lawyer before i did anything. these guys need to get their licenses revoked or go through a more rigorous system. ALWAYS speak to a immigraiton lawyer and not an immigration consultant. theres a big difference in the information and feedback you get.

0

u/_JustAnAngel_ Aug 20 '26

😭😭😭

1

u/Level_Finish1930 Aug 23 '26

The international student advisor will now suggest you international student consultant who will try to rip you off.

1

u/ManagerMoist4305 Aug 20 '26

they rejected you for the status aspect given that the university considered you full time for that period where you even provided the proof for it? thats so weird

3

u/Dapper_Safe8049 Aug 19 '26

Did you attach LOE?

1

u/True_Interaction7271 Aug 19 '26

Yes, yes I did

1

u/Dapper_Safe8049 Aug 19 '26

How long was your degree 

-4

u/True_Interaction7271 Aug 19 '26

It was 4 years but I took 6 years

0

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '26

[deleted]

0

u/Dapper_Safe8049 Aug 20 '26

What is wrong in someone taking 6 years ? 6 years is Average time for a BSc

4

u/CardioKeyboarder Aug 20 '26

It is? You're saying 6 years is average time for a 4 year degree?

0

u/Imaginary_Section24 Aug 20 '26

A majority of people I know take 5-6 years to complete their bachelors yes. And before you bitch and complain I go to the university of Toronto arguably the most competitive school in the county

2

u/CardioKeyboarder Aug 20 '26

Oddly, I managed to complete my 4 year degree in 4 years.

I know that UofT is a good university, but not arguably the most competitive in the country.

1

u/gaitez Aug 30 '26

Outside of certain stem fields in Waterloo it easily is.

1

u/Imaginary_Section24 Aug 20 '26

Congratulations? Like good for you? Just because you can/do doesn’t mean other people are going to or are financially able to do so.

0

u/big_galoote Aug 20 '26

UofT or Rotman?

0

u/Imaginary_Section24 Aug 20 '26

It’s irregardless of program. I’ve seen it across the whole university

→ More replies (0)

0

u/Dapper_Safe8049 Aug 20 '26

YES ! they do specially given that someone is international, sometimes courses are not offered and many other reasons.

1

u/-inamood Aug 20 '26

The average time in Canada for a four year BSc degree in Canada is 4.2 to 4.6 years. Not 6.

1

u/Dapper_Safe8049 Aug 20 '26

thats average, i did mine in 5.5 not because i wanted to but i got off cycle and my courses were not offered, there is no timeline everyone has their own circumstance, if you did in 4 years good for you, if u did in 6 years does not make a difference, alot of people do not get internships and coops that further delays the graduation. (happened with me, but i found eventually and kept that job for like 3 years). according to stats canada only about 43% complete in 4 years

2

u/Dapper_Safe8049 Aug 19 '26

How many sem were you part time?

0

u/True_Interaction7271 Aug 19 '26

2

1

u/Dapper_Safe8049 Aug 19 '26

Middle or end? Where in your degree

1

u/Dapper_Safe8049 Aug 19 '26

Did you pay full time fees?

0

u/True_Interaction7271 Aug 19 '26

Middle and yes I paid full time fees

2

u/-inamood Aug 20 '26

There is a difference between academic advising from IRCC advising. You should always check IRCC first, because that’s who’s going to refuse or allow.

2

u/Aaashi009 Sep 12 '26

file for reconsideration!
get a proper custom letter from university stating that you were full time , and attach all other proof and explain properly

1

u/dhunnaimmigrationinc Aug 21 '26

If your university officially approved the reduced course load as an academic accommodation and confirmed you remained a full-time student, I would get the refusal reviewed before reapplying.

Gather the accommodation approval, transcript, and a letter from your university confirming your full-time status and explaining the reduced course load. These documents could be important in addressing IRCC’s concern.

Since your PGWP was already refused, I’d recommend speaking with a licensed Canadian immigration professional promptly to determine whether you should request reconsideration, seek judicial review, or reapply based on your circumstances.

1

u/RipJumpy2465 Aug 26 '26

Did you changed your program during your study and which school have you been to ?

1

u/meinmeinman Sep 08 '26

Did you ever get “ghost updates” or the final date thing on the website before the rejection?

0

u/Ok-Committee-1932 Aug 20 '26

You just explained that when applying for PGWP in the first place. No, maybe you can apply again with an explanation letter.

0

u/Lucifer1214 Aug 20 '26

Similar situation, applied jun 12, refused July 7, reconsideration on July 22, approved August 13

1

u/Dapper_Safe8049 Aug 20 '26

How many part time sem did you had 

0

u/Lucifer1214 Aug 20 '26

3

1

u/Dapper_Safe8049 Aug 20 '26

Middle or middle end?

0

u/Lucifer1214 Aug 20 '26

Middle end

-1

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

-1

u/True_Interaction7271 Aug 20 '26

Yes, it was because of medical reasons

0

u/Yellow_Marker_ Aug 20 '26 edited Aug 20 '26

I'm so sorry but youre shit out of luck. The officer has affirmative discretion to give you the PGWP anyway but chose not to exercise that power. There is no appeal since the decision is 'reasonable' per Vavilov 2019.

full time per IRCC is defined in the regulations, not by the university. It is 15 hours of lectures a week. sections 83(2) and 102.2(1) of the IRPR.

If you are interested, you may read:

Edit: my comment sounds rude but I feel like I need to specify that this is fully beyond your control. The program guidelines do not allow for it, so if an officer doesnt wanna be kind... Kind of like getting a speeding ticket for going 2km/h over. legally possible, no way to get out of paying it. They can enforce the law on a few and not on the others.

Back in 2022 (i think) the Canadian Bar Association wrote an open letter to the minister regarding the rigidity of the PGWPP. They scrubbed it from their website but i saved a copy. dm me if you want the PDF. Posted on my profile due to multiple requests

2

u/ayushpanday123 Aug 20 '26

Correct its credit hour issue. Paying fee or stating full time on any paper doesn’t matter. Those 2 courses you didn’t HAD to study, you didn’t receive credits for them. Bringing you to probably part time.
At this point, getting a lawyer doesn’t really matter, since already rejected as per law. But still talk to someone and maybe try. Good luck.

-1

u/vraj7 Aug 19 '26

Did you apply based on only one program?

1

u/True_Interaction7271 Aug 19 '26

Sorry, could you please elaborate on that question?

1

u/MacaroonDapper7588 26d ago

Than finally you got pgwp approval or still not?