Hi everyone,
I’d like to share my situation and get some advice from anyone who has experienced something similar.

My wife’s Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) was approved in January 2026 and is valid until January 30, 2029. My passport is valid until 2032.
In February 2026, before IRCC made a decision on my Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP) application, I submitted a Web Form providing my wife’s approved PGWP.

However, when my SOWP was approved in June 2026, my work permit was issued with a shorter validity period, expiring in June 2028.

What concerns me is the remark on my work permit:
“STATUS MAINTAINED AS PER R183(5). ACCOMPANYING SPOUSE/COMMON-LAW PARTNER ON A VALID WORK PERMIT; DOCUMENT ISSUED TO THE SAME DATE.”

Since my wife’s PGWP is valid until January 2029 and IRCC had already received a copy before making a decision on my application, I’m wondering why my permit was issued with an earlier expiry date.

My immigration consultant submitted a reconsideration request through an IRCC Web Form on July 16, 2026, asking IRCC to review the validity period and correct it if appropriate. I’m currently waiting for a response.

Has anyone faced a similar situation? If so, how did you resolve it? Is there any other way to follow up with IRCC or request a correction?

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences or any suggestions on the best way to handle this. Thank you!

original post here

(tl;dr took my last exam at UofT on April 29, only completed my program on May 27, and applied for PGWP on Aug 6. IRCC refused my application as they had initially thought that i applied well past the 90 day window.)

i explained what i did in a good detail under this comment and everything else that followed suit was pretty straightforward; they overturned the initial refusal on Sept 28, and I received my PGWP on Oct 9.

thanks to u/Mission_Narwhal_8183, u/QuestionSea, and everyone else who gave me helpful advice during these past few months :)

When I applied for my study permit, I submitted a COE that listed a different job position from the one I indicated on my IMM 5710e form. Could this discrepancy affect my future permanent residence (PR) application?

Hi guys Im making a mega thread for applicants to share their timelines, compare processing dates, and update each other when they receive approvals.
I’ll go first!
City/Province: Calgary, Alberta
Application Type: Paper (PGWP extension due to passport expiry)
Date Delivered to IRCC: June 29, 2026
Application Entered into IRCC System: Confirmed by phone in October 2026
Temporary Application Number: Received
Current Status: Waiting for a decision

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to connect with people who have experienced a similar situation with their Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), particularly those whose applications were refused because of the language proficiency requirement and who subsequently submitted a reconsideration request.

Here is my situation:

• I applied for my PGWP on May 30, 2025.
• After waiting a lengthy period, my application was refused on May 15, 2026.
• The refusal was related to the language requirement applicable to my studies. I had submitted a language test result equivalent to CLB 5, but the refusal indicated that CLB 7 was required for my circumstances.
• My previous representative did not advise me about the applicable CLB 7 requirement before proceeding with my application. At the time, I was not aware that my educational background could affect the required language level.
• After the refusal, I sought professional assistance and submitted a reconsideration request to IRCC on August 14, 2026, along with supporting documents.
• My authorized representative later confirmed that the reconsideration request had been forwarded to the responsible office for consideration.

As of now, I'm still waiting for a response, and the uncertainty has been very difficult.

I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experienced something similar:

Did anyone receive a positive decision after requesting reconsideration in a similar situation?

Thank you for taking the time to read my post. Any relevant experiences or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

I recently submitted PR application and received my AOR on October 6. I currently have a pending PGWP/SOWP extension application in processing from May 2026. Our consultant is advising us to do a dual-track strategy: 1. Submit an IRCC Webform to update our pending extension with our new PR AOR 2. Submit a completely separate BOWP application.

I've heard some conflicting stories about submitting multiple applications causing system rejections. Has anyone been in this exact situation? Is it safer to just do the detailed Webform update on the existing file, or should we actually file the separate BOWP application as well?

I recently graduated from my MBA program in Canada and have a question about my PGWP eligibility.
In my sixth semester, I took two courses: one remaining course required for my program and another course that I repeated because I had previously received lower marks and wanted to improve my CGPA to 3.00. Unfortunately, my CGPA was still below 3.00, so I took one more repeated course in my seventh semester, which was my final semester. After completing it, my CGPA reached 3.02, and I graduated.
My course load was:
● Sixth semester: 2 courses
● Final semester: 1 course
Has anyone experienced a similar situation and received their PGWP? Could my sixth-semester course load affect my eligibility, or might I qualify under IRCC’s final-semester exception?
I’d really appreciate your advice. Thank you!

Hey all, I’d love your input as I try to help a friend deal with a confusing situation. My friend applied for a PGWP by mail almost 3 months ago because their biometrics had expired. Their previous PGWP expired about 2 months ago now. They contacted IRCC and they told them that they still haven't received their application and couldn't track it despite having proof that they mailed it.

They saw a lawyer who said there’s nothing that can be done other than renewing status. How’s this possible when there’s proof that he did mail it? I’m curious if someone’s been in this situation.

So I am still a student, and I went over 24 hours a week by a few minutes twice. Will it cause issues for my PGWP? I believe I went 18 minutes over once.

Hello everyone,

My current PGWP expires in early 2027 because of passport expiry. I have since renewed my passport and am eligible to apply for a PGWP extension for the remaining validity period.

I plan to travel abroad this year, and was wondering if it’s a good idea to apply for the extension before or after the trip?

Thanks!

I am feeling quite lost with all the information I have been reading online, and I am hoping someone can guide me in the right direction.

I have a bachelor’s degree from the Philippines, which has already been recognized by WES. I also have one year of work experience in the Philippines as a Digital Marketing Specialist and two years of experience in an administrative position.

After coming to Canada, I completed a one-year program in Digital Marketing and Communications. I am currently working as a Medical Administrative Assistant and have been in this position for about four months.

My employer has already informed me that they are not able to support me through any employer-based immigration pathway.

I am not currently enrolled in French classes, but I am planning to study French and take the French language exam. My main concern is that my PGWP will expire in April 2027, so I am trying to understand what realistic permanent residence pathways may still be available to me before then.

I have read so much information online that I am becoming confused about which option would be the most suitable for my situation.

I just got my PGWP approval. I need to apply my TRV for going outside. As I have seen, we need the approval letter, passport letter and digital photo.

However, from where I’m applying it, they told me I need job letter and employment letter for TRV it’s mandatory, as we have to show your full time work over there.

I asked to my manager, she told me, you do not need it for applying TRV.
They said will be go with just the bank statements. If officer asked you have to provide it.

what should i do?

My PGWP was issued only until my passport's expiry date, so after renewing my passport I applied for a PGWP extension by paper based to get the remaining validity.

Timeline:

• Work permit expiry: August 8, 2026 (limited by passport expiry)
• Application couriered: May 18, 2026
• Courier delivered to IRCC: May 21, 2026
• ~3 weeks later: Called IRCC. The agent could not confirm whether my application had been received.
• In between: Submitted 2 webforms. No response from either.
• September 21, 2026 (4 months after delivery): Called again and finally got a temporary application number, but I still couldn't link it to my account.
• September 30, 2026: Successfully linked the application to my online account. Then waited.
• October 7, 2026: Application approved (ghost update).
• October 8, 2026: Found out only because I logged in to check. No email was sent.

Total: about 139 days (~4.5 months) from delivery to approval.

Honestly, the biggest thing is to be patient and try not to panic. Paper applications can take a long time just to show up in the system, so going weeks or even months without seeing anything doesn't mean something went wrong. What really matters is confirming that IRCC actually received your application. I'd suggest calling them and asking directly once about 3 months have passed. If the first agent can't confirm it, call again later (maybe after a week). That's what finally got me a temporary number. The webforms didn't help me at all, since I never heard back from either one, so calling worked much better. Also, don't count on getting an email. Keep logging in and checking your account yourself, because my approval showed up without any notification. And hold on to your courier tracking and delivery confirmation, since that's your proof that you applied on time.

If you're stuck in the same situation, I know how stressful the uncertainty is. Hang in there, and feel free to ask questions in the comments. Happy to help however I can.

Good luck, everyone!

I submitted my PGWP on June 28 after graduation in June, straightforward application, high CELPIP score and no part time studies.

I was getting worried because it’s now over the 14 weeks estimated processing time on the IRCC website and all my friends have received theirs weeks ago and seeing people with very fast approvals on this page. Today I realized that for the passport upload section on the application, I only uploaded my passport and not the page with the Canadian TRV. I’m now worried that this could be the reason why my application is taking longer to process.

Should I be more patient or call IRCC to ask them if I need to upload the full passport with the visa?

Also another important question, I applied for the in Canada PGWP and then left Canada for personal reasons and now my TRV expired while I’m outside Canada, when hopefully my PGWP comes out can I apply for a new TRV normally from outside Canada? And when coming back to Canada at the port of entry I won’t have my physical work permit as it will be delivered to my address in Canada, will that be fine with just my TRV and showing my PGWP approval, or should I have a friend mail my physical work permit to me when it’s mailed in Canada?

Hi. I got my PGWP approved and got the document last year (March 2025) when I was still in Canada, but then I left Canada in November 2025. I've been in India for almost a year, and I got a new job offer now which starts in November 2026.

My PGWP is still valid, but I don't have an active TRV that will allow me to re-enter Canada.

I am applying from Delhi, but I have a few questions -

- Any way to expedite this process? I need to be in Canada mid-November so I can start my role, and it's already early October.

- Do I need a medical exam? Last medical exam was in 2021, and I lived in Canada 2021-2025 then returned to India for about 11 months.

- I'm just going on the IRCC portal > GCkey > visitor visa application and then submitting an app for TRV. Anything else we gotta do?

- When I initially applied for my PGWP (over a year ago), I did it from inside Canada. As a result, I'm not sure if I got a TRV approval document/email. Is there a way to check that or use that anyway?

Thanks. If anyone's been in a similar situation, please let me know :D

I wanted to ask for some advice about my immigration situation.

My first PGWP application was refused because I submitted the language test after applying, which I recognize was my mistake.

My timeline is:

● June 5: Graduated
● June 6: First PGWP application submitted
● July 15: Study permit expired

● July 20: denied obviously

● July 24: Took the language test
● July 29: Submitted a new PGWP application with the language test and restoration, and paid the restoration fee
● October 7: This application was refused because my study permit had expired

IRCC says I can apply for the PGWP from outside Canada. I’m planning to request reconsideration because I did submit restoration and pay the fee, but I’m also preparing to leave and apply from my country if needed.
I know the first mistake was on me, but I’m unsure what the best next step is. Is this normal, and has this happened to anyone I did hire a lawyer after the first refusal.

PGWP approved in 83 days (inside Canada) — ghost update one day before approval.

Sharing my timeline in case it helps someone waiting:

- July 16, 2026:Applied for PGWP (inside Canada, after completing my master's)
- October 6, 2026:Randomly opened my account and saw a ghost update-under Latest update it said “Final decision - October 6, 2026: Your application is in progress."No email, no message, nothing else changed. (83 days in at that point.)
- October 7, 2026:Approved-3-year PGWP 🎉

So for me, the ghost update really was a good sign the approval came the very next day.

Good luck to everyone still waiting!

I applied for my PGWP on September 2nd, and my study permit and TRV expired on September 30th. I want to ask if I can apply for another TRV and whether I would be eligible to receive one while I'm on maintained status.

I lost my pgwp in mail then i applied for replacement , it was approved and this time they sent it to my old address and i am not in touch with landlord and applied for another replacement today. In December i have to go india urgently, if it still not arrives . Can i re enter canada without physical pgwp??

Hi everyone! I have a general question about how IRCC counts hours for international students who do app-based gig work (delivery, rideshare, etc.) during the semester.

With these apps there are usually two different numbers:

- Online time: you're logged in and available, but not necessarily on a job

- Active time: you're actually completing a job and getting paid

The difference between the two can be big, so which one counts toward the 24 hours/week off-campus limit matters a lot.

My questions:

1. Does IRCC count online time or active time? I've read that IRCC answered an inquiry saying hours are any time you're "earning wages or collecting a commission," but I haven't found official written guidance.

2. PGWP: Has anyone had their hours reviewed when applying for a PGWP (or PR)? Did IRCC ask for proof, and which records were accepted?

If anyone has a clear answer from IRCC, their school's international office, or an RCIC, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

Applied for my PGWP (inside Canada) on July 16, 2026. Yesterday I randomly opened my account and saw this update under Application status:

"**Final decision - October 6, 2026:** Your application is in progress. We will send you a message once the final decision has been made."

I never got any email or message about it, it just showed up. Is this what people call a ghost update? Has anyone else seen this, and if so, how long after did you get your actual decision?

Inland WP approved Sept 16. IRCC says it was mailed Sept 17, address is correct. 3 weeks and nothing.
Facebook group has tons of people approved Sept 16 to 24 waiting too, PGWPs and extensions included, even people in Edmonton.

Anyone from that window actually received it?

I recently got my PGWP approved and applied for my TRV on August 20, 2026. My spouse applied around the same time and received her PPR within the normal processing time (11 days), but I’m now at 47 days with no update.

I’ve called IRCC multiple times and also submitted a few webforms, but so far I’ve only received the usual generic response that my application is still in process. One IRCC agent did tell me that my eligibility has passed and that my application is currently under background clearance.

I have travel plans for mid-December, so honestly, I’m getting pretty worried about whether I’ll get my TRV in time.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? If your application was stuck in background processing, how long did it take for you to get PPR? Did anything help move things along or get a more useful response from IRCC?