PGWP Rejection & Reconsideration
Well hello, my fellow international student community.
I thought I would hop on here and share a bit of what I have been going through with the immigration process lately. I am also hoping to hear from others who may be in a similar situation, or from anyone who has advice, perspective, or just wants to commiserate!!
I applied for my PGWP in June 2025 after completing my degree and IELTS. On March 4, 2026, I received a refusal from IRCC because they said I had not uploaded my IELTS results.
Now look; I know there have been a lot of posts and comments saying that it is the applicant’s responsibility to know that the IELTS results should be uploaded under the “additional information” section. I really do understand that perspective, but honestly, I still disagree with how unclear the process has been.
I have done a lot of thinking about this, and I do think IRCC has a responsibility to make instructions clear, especially when a document is not actually optional. If language results are mandatory, there should be a clear and specific upload space for them.
But I digress.
I submitted a reconsideration request the very next day, on March 5, 2026. In that request, I also pointed out another issue: the refusal letter/notes seemed to reference a completely different university and program than the one I attended.
Since then, things have been really difficult. I applied for restoration of status, lost the job I had for two years, had to give up my apartment, and moved in with a friend. It has been a lot to process, especially after doing everything I could to stay on top of my application and follow the rules.
Tough times, but nothing immigrants have not faced a billion times over.
It has now been about a year since I applied for my original PGWP, and around four months since I submitted my reconsideration request. The waiting, uncertainty, and lack of clear communication have honestly been exhausting.
I mainly wanted to come on here to share my experience and say that this process can be incredibly frustrating and isolating. I would really love to hear from others who are still waiting, dealing with reconsideration, restoration, or just trying to stay afloat through all of this.
How are you all coping? How are you passing the time? How are you doing mentally while waiting?
Would love to connect with folks in the same boat.