The only times you are allowed not to be a full-time student and maintain work permit eligibility

If you are an international student hoping to obtain a post-graduation work permit (PGWP), you must maintain full-time student status throughout your studies—with only two exceptions:

• Those who take an authorized leave of absence; and
• Students who are in their last semester of study.

This article will provide further details on the only two times that international students may not be full-time and still maintain PGWP-eligibility, including important conditions that they need to meet to ensure their compliance.

Schedule a Free PGWP Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm

What is considered full-time?

As defined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), a full-time student is someone who maintains a study schedule with at least 15 hours of instruction per week during the academic year. This can include classroom instruction as well as any workplace training that forms part of the student’s program of study.

Ultimately, full-time study status is determined by the student’s Designated Learning Institution (DLI).

Most schools define full-time status based on the number of classroom or instructional hours per week, and students are expected to confirm with their institution what constitutes a full-time course load in their program.

Taking an authorized leave of absence

In some cases, students may get permission from their institution to take a leave of absence from their studies and still comply with the conditions of their study permit and maintain PGWP-eligibility.

This is referred to as an “authorized leave of absence”.

To be counted as an authorized leave of absence, a student’s leave must be authorized by their DLI and should not exceed 150 days.

In addition, to be considered an authorized leave, the reason for a student’s break from their studies must correspond to one of the following:

• The student’s school has authorized a leave from their study program for
  • Medical reasons or pregnancy;
  • A family emergency;
  • The death or serious illness of a family member; or
  • Any other type of leave authorized by the school.
• The student’s school has closed permanently or due to a strike.
• The student has changed schools.
• The student or the school has deferred the program start date.
  • In these cases, the student must begin their studies in the next available semester, even if it starts earlier than 150 days, and must obtain an updated letter of acceptance from their DLI.

Students are not authorized to work on or off campus during an authorized leave of absence, even if their study permit states that they are allowed to work in Canada.

Students do not need to inform IRCC upon taking an authorized leave of absence. When applying for their PGWP, however, students must show IRCC that their leave of absence

• Was authorized by their DLI; and
• Did not last longer than 150 days.

Read our dedicated article to find out how to take an authorized leave of absence from your studies.

Students in their last semester of study

Students in their final semester of study can study part-time and still maintain eligibility for a PGWP.

In these cases, PGWP applicants may wish to outline their specific circumstances in the “additional client information” field of their PGWP application on IRCC’s webpage.

Students should note that they cannot apply for a PGWP in their last semester of study. PGWPs can only be applied for after a student has received their final marks.

In particular, to apply for a PGWP, a graduate must have received either

• an official letter from their DLI that confirms they’ve completed their study program; or
• an official transcript or a copy of their transcript from their DLI.

When to apply for a PGWP?

Students have up to 180 days after receiving their final marks to apply for a PGWP.

If a graduate applies for their PGWP before the expiration of their study permit, they may begin working full-time immediately, without needing to wait for a decision on their PGWP application.

If a graduate's study permit does expire, the student has up to 90 days after the date of their study permit expiration to apply for a PGWP. In these cases, graduates must also restore their status as a student.

To restore status as a student, the student must:

• Apply online for the PGWP and pay the required fee ($255); and
• Pay the fee to restore student status ($389.75).

Due to IRCC system limitations, the student must pay the restoration fee online and attach a copy of the receipt to the PGWP online application. A separate application to restore student status is not required.

When applying for restoration of status along with their PGWP, the graduate cannot work until the work permit has been approved. They must also meet the other requirements to work while the PGWP application is being processed.

If the student does not apply for restoration of status within 90 days, or if more than 90 days have passed since the expiry of their study permit, they must leave Canada and apply for their PGWP from outside Canada.

Schedule a Free PGWP Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm