If you don’t change your status to visitor and your study permit expires, you have up to 90 days after your study permit expires to apply for a PGWP and restore your status as a student.

To restore your status as a student, you must

• apply online for your PGWP and pay the correct fee ($255) and
• pay the fee to restore your status as a student ($350)
  • Because of system limitations, you must pay the fees to restore your status as a student online and attach a copy of the receipt to your PGWP online application. You don’t need to make a separate application to restore your status as a student.

You can’t work until your study permit and work permit have been approved.

If you don’t apply within the 90 days, or if the 90 days have already passed, you must leave Canada.

Before you can apply for a PGWP, you need one of the following to prove you’ve completed your studies:

• a degree or diploma
• an official letter from your school
• an official transcript, or a copy of your transcript from your school’s website

We may request other documents once we receive your application.

How you can apply for a PGWP depends on where you’re applying from. In most cases, you must apply online.

You must apply on paper if you’re extending or changing the conditions of your PGWP. You can only extend your PGWP if your passport expired before your PGWP’s validity period.

This would be indicated in a note on your initial PGWP.

You may need to change the conditions on your PGWP if you need to provide an additional document, like a medical exam, after you already applied.

Students are able to work off-campus 20 hours a week during the regular school year and engage in full-time employment during scheduled breaks on the strength of their study permit. After graduation, students wishing to remain in Canada may apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit, lasting three years – and subsequently for a Permanent Residency Pathway.

Part of their Core 1 responsibility in the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Departmental Plan 2019-2020 is an intention to work with all partners to better understand options for immigration for international students in a “study to immigration” initiative.

• No courier fees or mail delivery time—we get your application instantly
• your application may be processed more quickly
• it helps you make sure your application is complete before you submit it
• you can quickly submit more documents online (if we ask you to)
• you get updates on the status of your application directly in your online account