When Immigration Dreams Take a Detour: A PGWP Refused
After nine months of review, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) refused a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) application. While the outcome was disappointing, this case highlights an important reality: a PGWP refusal is not always the end of the road. In this situation, the graduate made a strategic and compliant decision to return home, gain professional experience, and preserve future pathways back to Canada.
The Background: A Strong Academic Profile, One Critical Issue
The student successfully completed both a Diploma and a Bachelor’s degree, earning strong grades throughout (As and Bs). However, a technical issue arose during the degree program.
Five diploma-level courses were transferred as credits toward the bachelor’s degree. While academically sound, this credit transfer resulted in part-time status during the first semester of the degree program, which rendered the student ineligible for a PGWP under current IRCC regulations.
The Dilemma: Full-Time Status vs. Academic Integrity
To maintain full-time enrolment, the student would have needed to register in unrelated or unnecessary courses, incurring additional costs and without academic value for his degree. His understandable eagerness to graduate as soon as possible is a common mindset among young and ambitious international students ultimately conflicted with PGWP eligibility requirements.
Key Lessons for International Students and Advisors
This case offers critical takeaways for students, families, and educational institutions:
✅ Course planning has immigration consequences — academic decisions must be assessed through an immigration lens
✅ Early consultation with an immigration professional can prevent irreversible mistakes
✅ A PGWP refusal is not the end — compliance with immigration laws protects future applications for this ambitious applicant
✅ Reconsideration requests can be meaningfully reviewed — in this case, IRCC requested additional documents and assessed the submission thoroughly, even though the original refusal was ultimately upheld.
Looking Ahead: Compliance Preserves Future Options
The family made a substantial financial and personal investment in their son’s Canadian education. While this path resulted in a PGWP refusal, the student’s clean compliance record, strong academics, and lawful departure place him in a favourable position for future Canadian immigration applications.
Although this mistake was painful and costly, the student accepted the outcome with maturity and is moving forward. Immigration journeys are not always linear. Sometimes they take an unexpected detour, but a detour is not a dead end.
This case is shared with the express permission of the applicant, in the hope that other international students can avoid making the same mistake.
Final Thoughts
✔ Check your LinkedIn account; if you don’t, immigration most likely will, as they have been conducting their due diligence for quite some time.
✔ Review your old applications for consistency.
✔ And finally, CLICK THAT BUTTON. I’ve seen cases where applicants failed to click the button. These technicalities matter
So why does this matter?
Because I often see clients after the damage has already been done. And sometimes, nothing can be done to fix it. You may have waited years for that ITA, and never receive another one due to age, changing immigration programs, or rising CRS thresholds.
Therefore, it is better to be proactive and avoid these pitfalls before they happen.
Happy preparation for your application. If you’re stuck, I’m just an email away.
Book a consultation with us and let’s get your application right from the start.
