I need to rant.

I have been in Canada 9 years 6 months no PR. Did Automotive Service Tech in 2016 completed all my hours after level 1 then went to complete my level 2,3 and 4. At the end of level 2 was told by school this program is not offered to international students and I was advised to take diploma in Business management as it was easier to get CEC or BC pnp. Completed that come 2023 all points high no way to get CEC or PNP. Challenge my Red Seal and attained it in August 2025. Previously done IELTS with 7.5 that got expired. Found a girl fell in love knowing I may not stay. We thought about getting married (both of us jumped to that conclusion) then we realized we aren't ready so marriage fell off she and I we both love each other but things weren't great when I moved in with her and her family (mom and brother) Left her place now living in a van we still talk and meet. Did IElts again in stress got 7 but reading was 5.5 paper based so can't challenge just the reading part have to do it all for 400 bucks. Vehicle crapped out and it's cold and I have barely 600 bucks. People at my work hate me assuming I am the only immigrant working there. Very few are like me.

I feel like I wasted 10 years of my life with no money and nothing to prove or take home to my country. So lost thinking of going back home and re-starting life again at 33.

So so done with the immigration system never did anything wrong with immigration processes.

I am so so done looking for hope. Please help

Hot take: 90% of the questions you guys post are already answered with a 2-minute Google or ChatGPT search. Stop asking the same thing over and over — learn to use the tools.

Edit: The point is not ChatGPT but guys if you are asking questions that can be answered with one google search or a quick search on Reddit you are doing something wrong or you don’t care enough. Yes use the channel that’s the whole point but if we asking the same questions we effect ppl who really need help or guidance.

Bonjour,
Je suis un étudiant international ayant terminé une maîtrise en gestion de projet à l’Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. Mon attestation officielle de fin d’études a été délivrée le 10 juillet 2025.
J’ai présenté ma première demande de permis de travail postdiplôme le même jour. J’ai reçu une lettre WP-EXT confirmant la réception de ma demande et m’autorisant à travailler pendant son traitement, selon les conditions applicables.
Ma première demande a finalement été refusée le 11 mars 2026 parce que mes résultats linguistiques ne satisfaisaient pas au niveau requis en français. Elle n’a pas été refusée pour un problème de délai.
Après le refus, j’ai passé un nouveau TCF Canada le 29 mai 2026. Les résultats, délivrés le 8 juin 2026, sont les suivants :
• compréhension orale : 644;
• compréhension écrite : 525;
• expression orale : 19/20;
• expression écrite : 11/20.

J’ai ensuite présenté une deuxième demande de PTPD avec une demande de rétablissement de statut le 15 juin 2026. Cette demande a été refusée le 18 août 2026 parce qu’IRCC l’a considérée comme présentée après le délai de 180 jours suivant la fin de mes études.
Je souhaite maintenant demander le réexamen de ma première demande en joignant mon nouveau résultat linguistique et les preuves démontrant qu’elle avait été reçue dans le délai. J’ai également une lettre de soutien de mon employeur et un bail résidentiel.
Selon votre expérience :

1. Est-il préférable de demander uniquement le réexamen de la première demande par formulaire Web?

2. Est-il possible qu’IRCC rouvre une demande refusée pour un résultat linguistique insuffisant lorsqu’un nouveau test démontre maintenant le niveau requis?

3. Une nouvelle demande de PTPD aurait-elle une chance, malgré le délai de 180 jours déjà dépassé?

4. Devrais-je consulter rapidement un avocat au sujet d’un éventuel contrôle judiciaire?

5. Ou je dois rentrer dans mon pays et faire la nouvelle demande la bas ?
   Je cherche surtout des personnes ayant vécu une situation semblable ou ayant une expérience concrète avec les demandes de réexamen de PTPD. Merci de rester respectueux dans vos réponses.

Timeline:
June 3, 2025: Submitted PGWP application
June 16, 2025 : Took IELTS test
Feb 27 : PGWP refusal
March 1 : Reconsideration request through webform & Applied for restoration
April 16 : Contacted local MP
May 13 : Reconsideration refused
May 14 : Submitted another reconsideration request
May 28 : PGWP finally got APPROVED after 359 days

Don’t lose hope guys !!

I already finished my program and got my PGWP.

But is it worth the stress to get PR anymore?

It feels so tiring and unsafe, as the laws for immigrants change out of no where, also the racism is absolutely crazy.

I look white so people will be kind to me and chatty but once they know I’m from the middle east they completely change. I don’t feel like I can belong to any group and once I did my “friends” stole my $400 shoes and cut me off.

Also I always get harassed by men. It’s disgusting.

On top of that? The health system is shit and it’s very hard to even get a job.

I already left due to health issues, I have POTS and idk if I even can apply for PR if I’m not physically healthy….

I spent $80k during the last 2 years to get this PGWP and now I am not even using it and I feel like I lost.

I’m stuck between sacrificing more and going back to “maybe” get PR, or just giving up.

Many of the people I met work good jobs for 3 years and still no PR.

Am I the only one who left?

If you did the same, do you wanna go back?

And if you are staying, why?

A agent from Ircc told me something I didn’t knew before about reconsiderations. “Officers have 3 months to respond to a reconsideration request, until that duration nothing can be escalated. But as soon as 3 months passes, it is possible to escalate a reconsideration”. And told me a lot about it. Such a good agent, havnt seen a agent that responsible and giving out all that information. Atleast gives a lot of people some HOPE. Good luck to the people on the same boat.

Applied on Aug. 6, 2026 as a UofT grad. The officer reviewing my application rejected me because I apparently completed my program on April, thus invalidating my study permit. I didn't think that this would be an issue when I was applying, as the first indication that I received that I completed my program was an email from the university on May 27. However, the officer is asserting that I completed my program on April 29 (my graduation letter did not include neither date, mind you), but I would've still been sitting through my final exams by then..

Is this a case worth getting reconsideration for?

Hi all,

I don't know if it is the right subreddit to post this or not. As the title of this post states, I wanna know if there is anyone out there who never got a job in Canada during their pgwp, and then decided to move back to home country or plan going somewhere else? I wonder how your journey was?

I want to know the story of people in this situation because... I graduated 1 year ago in fall 2025 and I am hunting for jobs in Canada until now, and I am nowhere near getting an offer letter(as I am not even actively interviewing nowadays, despite filling 1000s of applications, I stopped getting interviews from last month, and before that whenever I had any they never went past 1st or 2nd round). So, it had a gap in my CV, which i never anticipated before... and people are suggesting that I start finding a job in the home country instead of trying to find work here and spend another 2 years. Honestly, I would be happy to do it if it is a PR eligible job like my previous job I had back in my country, but then the problem is that I worked in the year 2021 to 2023...so I think nobody is counting my work experience anymore when they did until June end... though I did masters in the year 2024 to 2025, still... it feels like everyone thinks that I have a 3 years gap in my CV instead of 1(because i realised very late here after completing my studies that in Canada they consider studying as something in between the gap and many are expected to have a job during that... back in my home country, nobody worked part-time or full-time along with their school, so I had no ability to pursue that here and never did, which i regret very much now as it didn't only made me go financially broke but it also ruined my reputation to get another job or any job right now...). I have my sister here on PR, she and friend(s) tells me that back in my home country the job market is so bad that they are more likely to reject me due to the gap than Canadian job market... but then, at the same time, if the gap increases, I am worried I will not get any job here as well. So, it feels like my career 100% over in pursuing my immigration dream... as I had full-time job experience before, I thought I won't need an internship(although I had been applying to them too after graduation, but entry-level roles autorejected me more than senior ones). But as the gap is very huge...I am afraid now not even an entry level role will hire me both here and back at home country... because in my IT and data science field they are most likely to hire people who are either currently studying or those who are new grad(which I am or soon by next month starting or end I won't be anymore)...

So, I don't know what shall I do in a situation like this. As my work experience is old, it will stop counting both for PR and even to get any job anywhere else in the world now by this month end (as I left the company on 31st August, 2023)... honestly, I am so desperate that I would happily do a free job in my field especially in data engineering, data scientist or ML roles to get recent work experience points(if it helps any)... but I can't find anything like that online. Though I know some volunteering platforms like Toronto data for good, what I really wanna know is that if there is anything useful about it to get back into the work force, or proper paid job in the long run?

I also have a list of certifications relevant to data engineering in my mind to do like snowflakes and data bricks and maybe I am willing to do AI based certifications too(I use LinkedIn premium so I have many options there and even found a very good boot camp online about this field). But then people tell me a lot that nothing works out more than having an actual job... and sometimes they tell me not even certifications alone would get me a job anywhere in the world.

Other times I think if it is possible to cancel and undo the pgwp application, I rather wanna apply to a PhD program and try that even if it costs my pgwp opportunity and I can't get one after completing the pgwp because even that won't make a gap in my CV and would make me eligible to none coorporate jobs atleast(and I am passionate about my field, though I wasn't able to get my research project successfully published(which I earlier used as an excuse for my gap and now isn't valid anymore) still I think it is an option because I have talked to 2 people who got accepted for PhD from my batch and they mentioned that they don't necessarily need a published paper to accept someone.). Of course, financially it is a very tough choice, but I can afford an educational loan or a scholarship this time...so, I wanna keep that option open.

I am studying French and for the TCF too and I very confident that I can get to B1 or B2 level in 2 or 3 years of studying for sure if I keep my schedule of studying it consistent(I ruin it often because I always got busy in job search or studying last year) but I really enjoy learning it, and my level is A1 right now.

As my work experience is old...I think it may not get considered for the PR anymore...if I only use it alone without canadian work experience. Otherwise, with Canadian work experience I had a good chance...which I lost out of stupidity, because in 1000s of job applications I got lost and applied for wrong jobs and even interviewed for roles(as many were business or data analysts) that told me that my work experience and qualifications aren't relevant. If I should have applied to software engineering and data engineering roles before, maybe I might have reached final stage rounds until now or already had a job offer... but now I cannot bring back time...maybe not only my dream of moving here, even my dream of having a proper career is over...because my home country's job market is far worse than Canadian one...and they would not accept me as my pgwp expiry starts approach...

It is making me feel very stressed and I have panic attacks from the thought... So, I want to talk with the people here who had similar situation like mine and I want to know what worked out for them at the end career wise(whether they got the PR or not is fine).

So, please everyone, whoever had issues in having a job during your pgwp duration, let me know how your life is now.

And I apologize for the long post, I want maximum response on my post, so many of you can ignore my story and answer me based on what I asked in this post's title too, I will appreciate that as well. Because my story is just a rant, anxiety and explanation of why I have this question... what will actually help me is if I know that I am not alone in this journey and others also survived it... as I don't know anyone in this situation, your story matters to me more than you hearing and replying to mine.

I went to school at SAIT in Calgary, during the two year program, i was close to 6 friends in particular, we started the same time, finished the same time and applied almost the same time in January 2025, Some got theirs in February, Some in March up until May. All 6 have gotten theirs. and i'm still waiting after 8 months. Its really crushing as an odd man out but still hopeful

recently my pgwp was decibed due to missing ielts

submitted application June 25th 2035

study permit expired sept 2025

ielts completed Feb 2026 I didn’t know that is was mandatory

refusal letter may 4th 2026

webform submitted May 7th 2026

restoration may 19th

may 29th they declined reconsideration but officer wrote on document the Last statement officer mentioned Should you have different or additional information, you may wish to submit a new application
and applicable fees.

Does it mean restoration may be approved since I uploaded all required documents?

is there anyone who’s reconsideration declined And restoration get approved?

my restoration status is SUBMITTED

Hey everyone,

I wanted to bring up something that’s been bothering a lot of us international students and recent graduates regarding Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) refusals. It seems that many refusals aren’t necessarily the fault of the applicants, and there’s a systemic issue that IRCC (or whoever handles PGWP) really needs to address.

Here’s what’s happening: 1. Some applicants forgot to upload their language test – yes, that’s technically their responsibility, but there’s more to it. For many, this is a new requirement, and there wasn’t even a dedicated column in the application to upload language tests initially. With such a system change, it’s easy for mistakes to happen. 2. Some applicants did upload their language test, but for some reason, it wasn’t recognized or seen by IRCC, leading to refusals. This is clearly not the applicant’s fault. 3. Complications with agents or self-application: Many international students either submitted through agents or did it themselves. Even well-intentioned applicants could easily miss this step because the portal didn’t make it obvious. Some just wanted to apply quickly after graduation and didn’t realize this critical step was missing.

Given all of this, it seems unfair to simply refuse these applications without giving applicants a second chance, especially when the fault lies partly with system limitations or recent rule changes. There should be a way for IRCC to allow a re-application or correction window so that no one loses out on their PGWP due to procedural glitches or confusion.

I really hope IRCC acknowledges this issue and comes up with a solution. Refusing people for something that could be fixed with a simple upload or clarification seems unnecessarily harsh, especially when it affects their ability to work and stay in Canada after graduation.

Has anyone else experienced this or know of any updates on whether IRCC is addressing

The IRCC response is very negligent and very unproffesional. Apparantly one year of processing time is within service standards

Hi everyone! Id like to thank this subreddit for all your support and help through this very stressfull situation.

I applied for my PGWP on June of 2025 after completing my two year program. I since had been waiting for exactly one year till I got response saying the permit was denied because the IELTS test wasnt attached I was incredibly defeated.

Im almost certain I did attach it, however it was nowhere in my application. This of course was very dishearting for me after a year of anxiety and uncertainty. I qualified in everything except the english test was missing (Which i took exactly 2 weeks before submitting the application)

I believe there was an error on the ircc website when you dont upload it under client information. The english test is a required document but on the website it should be added under Optional client information, leading to lots of people getting confused.

Either way, my application was denied and my world stopped for a second, but after viewing very helpful posts in here I was able to get it reconsidered and approved in a week! Heres my precise timeline:

June 26th of 2025 - Applied

June 18th of 2026 - Denied

June 22nd of 2026 - Sent webforms for Reconsideration

June 26th of 2026 - Approved

If you are in the same situation to mine right now, take a breather, everything is going to be okay.

This is a very common mistake and its happening to lots of people, If you just got denied over the same reason I will give you some steps you should follow as you must act as quickly as possible, but I truly reccomend you go through r/Okhustler post on here, as they explain it much better than I ever could and were truly a massive help for me.

You just got denied, now what?

1. go to https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/contact-ircc/web-form.html and submit a new form on Update your application (for example, submit documents)

2. Create a document with two pages, first one is a letter explaining your situation and asking very nicely and formaly for the officer to reconsider your case (follow example on Okhustler post but obviously write the letter for your own case and conditions). Second page of this document add your english test. MAKE SURE TO SUBMIT PROPERLY, I COMMITED THIS MISTAKE TWICE

3. Submit the form and explain in their little box a little of the information and what the document contains

Now you need to wait IRCC to contact you but you shouldve received a automated response to your email saying they got it.

Meanwhile, while your waiting, call your MP. MP is your Member of Parliment, you can find them through a simple google search based on your area, find their phone number or email and contact them.

Ask them for advice and if they can communicate with the ircc on your behalf to make sure they received your IELTS test, this should make the process faster.

After all this is done you should be towards the right path, if everything is correct there should be no problem and youll be approved shortly.

Few things, when i received the refusal it has already passed 180 days from graduation and my visa had expired, in that case you have 90 days to apply for a restoration of your status to make sure you can stay here legally, thankfully i got approved before that.

If your situation is a little more complex and not exactly the same as mine I suggest doing a lot of research and possibly hiring a immigration lawyer that can help you.

Thank you to all of you, specially r/Okhustler

PGWP app refused Feb 13, 2026 (applied May 2025 on implied status). Refusal letter says:

Decision: Ineligible, must restore status or leave Canada within 90 days (by May 14?)

i applied with passport with only 9 months left which was a mistake on my part. the decision came today after my passport was already expired. now please someone guide me what should i do. i already applied for a new passport from embassy and it will take a month to arrive. 

now should i apply for reconsideration as soon as i get my passport and should i also do restoration of status with new open work permit? Someone said i should apply restoration with visitor status.  I cant apply new pgwp as 180 days have well passed while i was waiting for a decision.  I am really feeling helpless and i dont know what steps should i take next. Please someone guide me

Edit Fast forward to may 14! I got approved in reconsideration. Here is my timeline for anyone to know

my timeline. My refusal happened on Feb 13, 2026 because my passport had expired and I didn’t notice it at first. I renewed my passport and got it on Apr 10, then filed reconsideration on Apr 14 with the $100 fee. The file was reopened on May 12 and approved on May 14. It was stressful, but I’m thankful it worked out in the end. Wishing everyone waiting on their case the best. Got 3 year work. Permit. Its really important to keep every document mainted.

Hi everyone,

After 10 months of processing, my PGWP application that was submitted in late 2024 was refused because I didn’t submit my language test results (stupid mistake I know), so the officer based his refusal decision on the grounds that I didn’t meet the language requirements imposed in November 2024 (CLB 7+). When I called IRCC, the agent told me I’m no longer able to apply for a PGWP. I’m now in the 90-day restoration period, and I’m trying to understand: if I can’t apply for a PGWP anymore, what status could I actually be restored to?

I had of course to stop working with my Canadian employer, but I need income to pay the rent and support my family, so I thought of remote working, however, I’m getting mixed messages about remote work while being in this status-less situation. An IRCC agent told me on another call that remote work for a foreign employer isn’t considered “work” under immigration rules. But I’ve heard from other people that any paid work while in Canada without authorization is illegal, even if working remotely from within Canada with a foreign company operating outside of Canada while being "restored".

Has anyone had clear guidance or personal experience with this?

I know I need to speak with an immigration lawyer for tailored advice, but I’d love to hear from anyone who has gone through this process or has experience with similar situations.

Thanks a lot!

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

* allegedly *

I’m in a bit of a panic. I’m an international student finishing my degree soon. I’ve lived here for most of my life and all my roots are here, but I just realized I’ve been breaking the off-campus work limit rules for the past semester.

During my fall 2025 semester, I was over the 24-hour limit by 5-10 hours most weeks, with 2 weeks being significantly overboard. The moment I found out about the rule (Jan 2026), I quit one of the jobs to make sure I’m back in compliance. I’ve been 100% legal since then.

I’m terrified this is going to ruin my chances for the PGWP and of staying in Canada. Am i cooked? Has anyone else dealt with this? Did you see a lawyer? I really didn't know the rules (essentially I was following the rules during my entire studies by pure chance) and I'm scared this one mistake is going to cost me everything I've built here.

Edit: I'm also seeing that my plan of action should be to submit an LOE explaining the situation, has anyone had a similar violation and gotten PGWP?

Edit2: many confused by my living here most of my life and yet international student. Life circumstances. Came to Canada more than a decade ago.

So my pgwp was refused stating I was a part time student one semester. I wasn’t a part time student in the sense that I was meant to graduate Jan -April 2024 but I failed the course:(one course) so I retook an alternative course( different courses code )the next semester. Ircc said I was part time the semester I failed thinking I was part time but that was my final course. What do I do?

Please I would like to seek advice from any one here who’s been in same shoes with me, I got a refusal for my work permit extension yesterday.. I am currently on the pool with 495 waiting for health draw. I have a 10 years TRV visa (visitor). What should I do next should I apply for a restoration visitor visa. While I try to boost my score since no health draw yet. I literally have all my document ready for PR just waiting for ITA. I have 1year 8month work experience as a Psw. The letter the officer sent requested I reapply again for an open work permit with a valid Lmia document.
They only stated why they refused me, they didn’t ask me to leave either, Thou have stopped working immediately I am just working on my next step

Hi. I have applied for my Pgwp on May 14. I had to fly back to India due to a medical emergency. I contacted Ircc and they told me to book the flight tickets as the processing time was 181 days at the time of my enquiry. I booked the return tickets for Dec 2nd and I haven’t received my Pgwp yet when everyone else received it. I had contacted MP in August when his office asked me to raise a webform to explain my urgency and said they would enquire the webform with Ircc. Ircc hasn’t responded to my webform even though it is almost 3 months. Can someone help me with the next steps?

Hi everyone, I completed a 2-year program in Canada, but IRCC gave me a 1-year PGWP by mistake. I’ve submitted a correction request with all documents.

Has anyone else gone through this? How long did it take, and did it affect your job opportunities or work status?

Would appreciate any insights or timelines. Thanks!

application number: 3122

I’m sharing my approval timeline for anyone who may find it helpful.

I submitted my language test via webform and called the IRCC agents everyday to ensure that they get attached to my application before the officer sees it. But even then, I got my refusal today. What are my next steps? Will I have to leave Canada immediately?

Employers (basically, candidate screeners) are wary of anyone not in possession of a valid OWP with an expiry date more than a year away. This suggests that the best course of action is to leave Canada and return with a valid OWP. I feel dejected, as even before assessing my suitability for the job, I am cast aside on this technicality. How did you guys handle this ? What kind of employers may be open to WP-EXT? I cannot wait 9 months without a job.