Why should I apply before my study permit expires?
Because it protects your right to work and your ability to apply from inside Canada. If you apply while your study permit is valid, you finished your program, and you were allowed to work off campus without going over your hours, you can work full-time until IRCC decides.
Study permits are usually issued for 90 days past the expected end of your program. The PGWP window is 180 days. That means many students still have PGWP time left after their permit has expired. This is where most problems start.
If you apply from inside Canada before your permit expires, you can stay in Canada while IRCC processes the application. This is often called maintained status. IRCC may send you a WP-EXT letter (IMM 0127) that you can show an employer; you can keep working until a decision even after the date on that letter.
Submit well before the expiry date. Do not wait for the last evening, and keep your online submission confirmation.
When does my 180-day window start?
On the earliest of three dates: when your final marks were issued, when you received formal written confirmation that you completed the program, or when your credential was issued. Your study permit must also have been valid at some point during those 180 days.
Many students wait for their convocation ceremony or their paper diploma. That is often too late. If your school posted final marks in May and you only received your diploma in October, the clock started in May.
Keep proof of the exact date: the email from your school, a screenshot of your transcript with the date, or the dated completion letter.
What if my permit will expire before I get my final marks?
IRCC gives two options: apply for a visitor record to stay in Canada as a visitor, or leave Canada and apply for the PGWP from outside. Letting your permit expire without doing either puts you out of status.
If you change to visitor status, you can still apply for the PGWP later. But IRCC’s officer instructions explain that once your study permit has expired, you usually cannot apply as an in-Canada applicant, even if you are a visitor. You submit the application online as an outside-Canada application while you stay in Canada as a visitor. In that case:
- You cannot work while you wait for a decision.
- You must keep your visitor status valid until the work permit is issued.
- After approval, you may have to leave and re-enter Canada to be issued the permit. Since December 24, 2024, returning from the US or St. Pierre and Miquelon for this purpose is limited unless you meet an exemption.
My study permit already expired. Can I restore my status?
Yes, if it expired less than 90 days ago and you did not change to visitor status. You apply online for the PGWP and restore your status as a student in the same application. You cannot work until the PGWP is approved.
To restore and apply at the same time, IRCC says you must:
- apply online for your PGWP and pay the PGWP fees ($255: the $155 work permit fee plus the $100 open work permit holder fee),
- pay the restoration fee ($246.25) online, and
- attach the restoration fee receipt to your PGWP application. You do not file a separate restoration application.
Fees are from IRCC’s fee list and can change. A biometrics fee may also apply. Restoration is not automatic. The officer still checks that you meet the conditions, including that you followed your study permit conditions before it expired.
What if more than 90 days have passed?
IRCC says that if you do not apply within 90 days, or 90 days have already passed, you must leave Canada. You are out of status, and you cannot work.
This does not always end your PGWP chances. The PGWP rule is that your study permit was valid at some point during the 180 days after you completed your program. If that is true and you are still inside the 180 days, an application from outside Canada may still be possible. Staying in Canada without status can hurt future applications, so get advice quickly.
If your PGWP was already refused because of a status or timing problem, read our PGWP refusal guide.
Can I apply for the PGWP after I leave Canada?
Yes. If you completed your program in Canada, you can leave and apply online from outside, as long as you meet every rule and apply within your 180 days. You cannot apply at the border when you come back.
Since June 21, 2024, border officers do not accept PGWP applications at a port of entry. When IRCC approves an outside-Canada application, you receive a letter of introduction and the permit is issued when you arrive. If you apply from outside Canada, IRCC also issues a new visitor visa or eTA with the approval.
Before you choose this route, check the other rules in our PGWP eligibility guide and run the PGWP eligibility checker.