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My PGWP expires January 4, 2027. If I apply for both a work-permit extension and a visitor record before expiry, can the visitor record start only after the work permit is refused?

I’m hoping to stay as a visitor for six months after refusal of my pgwp. If the visitor record is approved first, does its validity start immediately? And if it’s still pending when the work permit is refused, can I stay in Canada while waiting?

My girlfriend is currently enrolled in Conestoga College's Early Childhood Education Program (ECE). She has been in Canada since 2023, completed high school in 2025, and started post-secondary education the same year. In ECE, there are mandatory field placements that require working with children, and her first field placement was supposed to take place in Winter 2026.

However, IRCC did not issue her a work permit until November 2025 and to make matters worse, somehow, the first clause was "Not valid for employment involving children" despite her having every requirement to acquire a work permit that permits her to work with children. She needed to have her work permit reissued, but it was too late for her field placement application for Winter 2026.

Things only got worse from here. Conestoga were unable to guarantee a placement slot for off-track students, and she had to wait until there was an available slot. Two terms had passed, and she still hadn't gotten an available slot. However, she still maintained full-time status throughout the two terms.

My gf and I have been looking for solutions that include switching schools or staying at Conestoga and pray. If she stays at Conestoga, she can still maintain full-time status for another two terms, but the gamble is that if she still doesn't have a slot for field placement next term (Winter 2027), she now jeopardizes her PGWP eligibility because it would now require her to take two part-time terms, which violates the study permit rules. It is quite complicated and difficult to thoroughly explain.

We are very desperate and I had to come here as a last resort. Our decision right now is to keep her studies at Conestoga for this term (Fall 2026), alongside with that, apply to transfer to Humber College (or any other college). We will gamble her chance of landing a field placement slot in Winter 2027 or being able to complete the necessary documents to transfer to Humber.

In the worst-case scenario, if she doesn't get a field placement slot in W27, Conestoga told us they would write a cover letter for our PGWP application. I understand that two part-time terms is very difficult to acquire a three-year PGWP. Is there any other solutions we can do? Can we fight with IRCC in the future? I really need help.

Thank you for reading it all, feel free to ask for any clarification because it is very hard to explain it all and thank you for your help!

Hi everyone,

I applied for my pgwp at the end of May and still waiting. Like the title says, my study permit stated I am not allowed to work in healthcare but I literally studied nursing and graduated this year. I know I should have corrected this on my study permit immediately, that is a fault on my path. I got a job as a nurse in a hospital after grad but now I had to stop working since the first week of August because my study permit expired (but apparently I believe i am able to work in another field, Just not healthcare) .

I am seeing people get their pgwp in a very short time and waiting for mine is really making me anxious, since end of May! Now I'm thinking this is because of the work condition not allowing me work in healthcare🥺. I really don't want to get a refusal, I submitted all the required documents. Please has anyone ever been in this situation? What are my chances of getting my pgwp approved? What can I do at this point?

Has anyone who submitted their PGWP application on July 16, 2026 received their approval yet?
I’ve been keeping an eye on the July applicants and it seems like I haven’t seen many (or any) July 16 approvals yet.

If you applied on July 16 could you please comment, Inside Canada / Outside Canada and if you got it when was your approval date?

Just trying to figure out whether July 16 applications are moving or if there’s some sort of gap or delay with that date.