r/ImmigrationCanada

Hello everyone :)

I’m from Italy and I’ll graduate next year with a degree in History. Lately I’ve been thinking seriously about moving to Canada in the future and trying to build a new life there.

Even though it’s something I really want, I also feel quite nervous about it. I would most likely be alone at the beginning, far from family and friends, and sometimes I wonder if I’m being unrealistic about finding work and adapting to a completely new environment.

I wanted to ask if anyone here has had a similar experience or maybe some advice to share. With a History degree, what kind of opportunities could realistically exist? Do you think it would be better to continue studying after graduation? And emotionally, how hard was it for you to start over alone in another country?

Thank you so much to anyone who takes the time to reply I’d genuinely appreciate hearing your thoughts and experiences.

Hi everyone, just as what the title says, I noticed this message when I checked the CGkey portal yesterday

Latest update:
Final decision - May 20, 2026:Your application is in progress. We will send you a message once the final decision has been made.

I thought I would get a decision today but there's still no update. Do I expect to hear from them in, like, one or two days?

Hello everyone! I'm (26F) a veterinarian from India . I graduated in India in 2023 and worked with horses in Dubai until 2025. I'm currently working in India and preparing for my North American veterinary licensing exam. I have a band 8 in IELTS (March 2026). I am planning to move to Canada, and I'm looking for an express entry visa/ PR. Which visa do yall think I might be eligible for?

Hey everyone, looking for some advice or experiences from people who’ve been through something similar.

My PGWP expires June 6, 2026. My plan right now is to stop working on June 5 and apply for a visitor record so I can stay in Canada legally. My long-term partner of 2 years is a Canadian citizen, and we’re planning to get married soon after.

We intend to apply through the Outland spousal sponsorship route, but we’re unsure whether it’s better to get married / submit everything while I still have valid PGWP status, or if being on a visitor record is completely fine for this process.

At the moment, the plan is probably for me to leave Canada around September and work back home while waiting for the sponsorship application to process.

Main questions:
- Is there any issue getting married while on visitor status?
- Does switching from PGWP to visitor record negatively affect an Outland sponsorship application?
- Is there any advantage to marrying/applying before my PGWP expires?
- Has anyone done something similar and had a smooth process?

Thanks in advance.

Hi there, I'm looking to move to Canada with my wife whenever able, but am getting confused when it comes to costs. Most guides I look at list immigration fees in the thousands of dollars, but do they apply to an American that has dual citizenship through a parent born in Canada?

I have already received a citizenship certificate and SIN number. So practically speaking, do I have to pay any legal fees to move to Canada permanently? (not counting practical fees such as hiring movers and transport costs etc)

I am hoping to move there with my wife, a non-citizen (pending ancestry investigation; i'm digging through her family history to find a Canadian ancestor), so I know immigration fees will apply to her. I can most likely handle spousal sponsorship fees, but don't know how much to add for fees that might apply to myself.

My wife is Canadian Citizen, we are about to close on a home in Ontario, and I am still awaiting final approval. Received my 2nd prepare for entry into Canada from US.

When I finally get approved, and I am asked to mail Passport or go get it stamped and I’m already In Canada, what do I do?

Age- 25

Location- South Western Ontario, outside GTA

Highest education- 2 year Undergrad diploma in Computer Programming

Language test- CLB 10

Work experience- 2 years completed, 1 as a retail sales supervisor and 1 as a technician (72429)- current job.
Also, started an online overseas job as a video editor/ graphic designer since January 2026

PGWP expires March 2027

Current score- 462
After finishing a year in my overseas job, my score should become 512

I’m currently sitting at CRS 510 (pretty much maxed out on everything realistically possible for me right now). I qualify under CEC only.

My PGWP expires at the end of July and I’m trying to decide what the safest next move is while waiting for possible ITA rounds. CEC draws this year have mostly been hovering around the 507–514 range, so I feel like I’m close, but the unpredictability is stressing me out.

I tried learning French earlier this year but honestly couldn’t keep up with the workload while working full-time.

Right now I’m considering switching to a study permit and doing a post-degree accounting diploma mainly to maintain status in Canada while waiting for EE draws. I already have Canadian work experience and an active EE profile.

A few things I’m wondering:

- Has anyone here gone from PGWP → study permit while waiting for ITA?
- Is this viewed negatively if the program is related to your background/career progression?
- Would visitor status make more sense instead?

I know nobody can predict IRCC, but I’m trying to make the smartest decision before July hits.

Any experiences or suggestions would really help.

Hey guys!

So I got my pgwp refusal due to not properly attaching my IELTS test result. I got it on April 9th 2026. The next day I raised a webform, attached my IELTS test result with an explanation letter for my reconsideration request. It’s almost been a month since I’ve heard anything. I want to apply for restoration by myself since I intend to save money by not hiring lawyers.

So, for my restoration I’ve heard restoring to visitor status is a smart choice. Because the chances of a refusal a pretty low rather than going to worker status. ( I can’t go back to student either as I’m over my 180 days) now for me to go to visitor status, I would need to show proof of funds so that I can show I can sustain myself. I do not have major big funds right now. I’ve got like close to 3k in my savings. I’m confused now, should I just apply for my restoration with this much funds in my accounts or would I need to show more if I need a stronger case.

Any help would be really appreciated.

I'm an IMG (internationally-educated medical doctor) who wants to immigrate to Canada and get the Canadian PR as soon as possible. Currently, my CRS score is 435. Seems like I have a decent chance of getting drawn in the healthcare category in the future but I don't want to solely rely on that. I'd like to put extra effort and either get PR in a different way or at least do something to increase my CRS score (e.g., gaining Canadian experience).

So, I'm simultaneously trying to get a student/work permit. Getting a study permit seems to be a bit easier because there are many master's and PhD programs I can apply to. But getting a work permit in a way that is aligned with my interests and long term goals essentially requires finding a "research fellow" position, which is not very common in Canada (and some of them require a PhD). So, my question is this: Should I focus on study or work permit? Which one can lead to a PR faster and how much faster?

Hi everyone,

I’m posting because I’m honestly exhausted and I want to know if anyone went through something similar with IRCC.

I’m in Canada under an inland common-law sponsorship with my Canadian partner. We’ve been together for 3 years and living together continuously since March 2025. We submitted a strong application with tons of proof (joint lease, travel together, family letters, relationship history, etc.).

The issue is that my Open Work Permit was refused in April 2026, and from what my lawyer says, it looks like the officer assessed my file under the wrong category (C41), even though I’m applying as a sponsored common-law partner inland.

Because of this refusal, I immediately lost my right to work, even though the PR sponsorship itself is ongoing. My lawyer believes this is a clear officer error and submitted a reconsideration request on April 22, 2026.

Timeline

April 2026 : Under maintened statut

April 2026: OWP refused, have to stop working

April 22, 2026: Lawyer submitted reconsideration request

April 29, 2026: IRCC confirmed internally they took action on the reconsideration

May 6, 2026: Received AOR for PR sponsorship application

May 12, 2026: IRCC email said an officer had taken “appropriate action” on the reconsideration file

May 15, 2026: Federal MP office contacted IRCC again; Edmonton office confirmed the reconsideration is active and pending review

Today (May 20, 2026): Still waiting, unable to work

My lawyer says this should normally be reopened because the refusal appears based on the wrong eligibility category, but the waiting is brutal financially and mentally.

My questions
Has anyone here had an OWP refusal reopened through reconsideration because of officer error / wrong category?

How long did reconsideration take before approval or reopening?

Is Edmonton usually slow for reconsiderations?

I’ve seen some people say reconsiderations can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 4 months, but I’m trying to understand what’s realistic for cases involving a clear IRCC mistake

I have been working as an assistant manager in a clothing retail store for the last 3 years, under a very stressful environment but I just continued working for the sake of my PR.

When I applied for my PNP in June 2024, I knew about something called an Express Entry program (where you get an additional 600 points if you have a PNP nomination, almost guaranteeing an invite by IRCC in the next CEC draw.)

I didn’t have any in-depth knowledge about it but just very basic information I had gained through some research.

I asked some of my friends (who had already gotten their PRs at that point) about what they knew about express entry through PNP nomination, and most of them said that even if I got a PNP nomination, there is always uncertainties regarding when the next PR draw by IRCC is gonna be, so instead of having to wait for the next PR draw (via PNP-express), it’s much better to just take the Non-express route as it’s the safest option since you can apply for a PR right after getting your PNP approved (via Non-express route).

Almost all of my friends had gotten their PRs through the Non-express PNP route within 8-9 months at most.

So i just went with the Non-express route as it just made sense to me that time.

So after my PNP approval in December 2024, I applied for my PR in January 2025. Now it has been over 16 months and I haven’t even received a BIL yet. Like ZERO updates or progress. My application just hasn’t been touched at all because I think BIL is the very first step after AOR but I don’t even have the BIL yet.

And I know I shouldn’t be thinking about it so much, but the regret of knowing that I was eligible for Express Entry via PNP, and willingly decided NOT to go for it, is just killing me.

And upon my research just recently (I know, too late), IRCC conducts Express Entry draws for PNP almost every 2 weeks. 😭 So there were No uncertainties about it either, I just lacked enough research on the matter.

Instead of 6 months for PR via Express entry, I will be hitting close to 2 years due to applying via Non-express entry.

My WP expires in 2 months and unfortunately I will Not be able to apply for BOWP as it will have to be a Closed work permit as the Eligibility on my PR application has Not yet passed.

So I will have to continue with the job stressful job for i don’t know how long, all because I didn’t do my due diligence of maybe consulting a lawyer for more information and blindly trusted my friends.

I just feel so stuck in my life for the past so many years just trying to get my immigration sorted, and I genuinely feel like by the time I’m finally out of this struggle, I just won’t have the mental capacity to even be happy anymore. This workplace has sucked the life and soul out of me and I am just extremely depressed.

Hii, I'm 30m. A secondary school teacher from India with 1 year of experience teaching Maths. I recently started seeing a lot of ads on Instagram about teachers needed in Canada. I'm just not sure if these are just scams or true advertisements. I only have a CRS score of 451. I've no idea how to start my pr journey.

Can someone who has an idea please tell me if it's realistic to look for Canada pr as a teacher and it's worth it to spend a lot of money trying for it?

Thanks in advance

Hi!

Our nanny has a 2 year valid US B2 Domestic Employee visa (non-immigrant) - can she apply for a Canada ETA? She’s a Philippine Passport Holder. Thank you!

Hi everyone,

Please be kind 😭 I’m genuinely trying my best through this process and I’m looking for advice from people who are actually experienced with Canadian study permit refusals/reapplications or have gone through something similar themselves.

I’m 20 years old from India and I’ve already been refused twice for my Canadian study permit.

My first refusal had multiple concerns including finances, home ties, and career progression/study pathway explanation. Before reapplying the second time, I spent months working on those areas:

• strengthened financial explanations and documents
• improved proof of family/property ties
• explained my career progression much more clearly
• added stronger proof of my freelance/media work and experience

For my second refusal, the concerns became much narrower:

1. concerns regarding my English test
2. concerns regarding study purpose and similar courses being available in my home country

I have now completed IELTS Academic with an overall score of 6.5 (R:7, L/S/W:6.5), so I believe I have now directly addressed the language-test concern through a recognized standardized exam.

Now I’m mainly trying to strengthen the study-purpose explanation before reapplying again.

For context:
I’ve already been working in the creative/media industry from a young age through freelance work, motion graphics, editing, digital products, and online creative work. I genuinely care a lot about this field and I’m not randomly choosing it for immigration purposes or just to “go abroad.”

A big part of my explanation is that while self-learning helped me build strong visual and motion-design foundations, I eventually hit a technical/interdisciplinary ceiling. My goal is not simply to learn software tutorials, but to gain structured training involving interactive media, UX/workflow integration, collaborative production environments, and applied interdisciplinary development that aligns with my long-term goals back home in India.

I’m NOT looking for suggestions like “change your course” respectfully 😭 because I’ve already spent years building myself and researching this direction carefully.

What I’m mainly asking:

• For people who overcame “similar course available in home country” refusals: what specifically strengthened your reapplication?
• How did you frame your study purpose?
• Did detailed curriculum comparisons/career roadmaps help?
• What kind of explanations or evidence helped most?

The refusal letter said -
"The applicant has failed to satisfy me that pursuing the selected program of study is reasonable given the high cost of international study in Canada when weighed against the potential career/employment benefits for them after completion. See Letter of Acceptance. Noted that there are institutions available locally or in applicant’s home country that offer similar programs. Apart from aspiration to seek quality Canadian education, insufficient explanation to justify pursuit of international studies at a significantly higher cost. The stated benefits of their intended studies do not seem to warrant the cost and difficulty of undertaking foreign education. Weighing the factors in this application, I am not satisfied that the applicant will depart Canada at the end of the period authorized for their stay. For the reasons above, I have refused this application."

I’d really appreciate thoughtful replies from people familiar with this process because this whole thing has honestly been emotionally exhausting and I’m trying to approach my next application as carefully and genuinely as possible ❤️

I’m an outland applicant and had a question regarding the steps after eCOPR/PPR.

Does anyone know if it’s possible to leave Canada again shortly after landing, before receiving the PR card? Do I need to stay in Canada until the PR card arrives, or can a friend bring the PR card to me in my home country so I can use it to re-enter Canada later?

Has anyone done this before or have experience with it? Thanks in advance!

My wife is a US citizen entering Canada on visitor status and I'm planning to file spousal sponsorship right away. Based on research I've done, outland seems like the better route — faster PR (16 months vs 25 months), appeal rights if refused, and travel flexibility.

My main questions:

Is she eligible for the Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP) under the SCLPC FC public policy if we go outland, given she'll be physically living in Canada with me on valid visitor status?

If yes, is the SOWP processing time the same as it would be under inland sponsorship, or does it take longer outland?

Any real experience with outland + SOWP while spouse is physically in Canada? How long did the work permit actually take?

The official IRCC page says "spouse living in Canada being sponsored for PR" without specifying inland only, and the form code says "SCLPC FC OWP" — FC covering Family Class (outland). But some consultants still say outland can't get the SOWP, which contradicts the government page.

She is trying to work as soon as she can so what would be the fastest route while waiting for our application ?

We're in Ontario if that matters.

Thanks in advance for your help

I got my CSQ for PR last year. I'm now moving to Quebec on a temporary work permit while waiting on my federal PR application.

Was curious how long the PR process would take and just learned the wait time for Quebec Business Class stream is 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁 82 months.

What is the story behind this? Is the province of Quebec doing anything to get these 3700 entrepreneurs bringing their money/know-how into the province?

Also would be great to know if anyone else is in this stream and what they've been advised.

Obviously investment can only happen with some legal certainty/future visibility and this is signaling the exact opposite of that ("come, pay taxes, make investments, but you may have to leave in 3 years").

It's giving me PEQ vibes.

I'm a Canadian dating an American and we're planning for her to move to Canada soon. She'll be visiting later this summer so we can get married, and the plan is for her to go home for a few weeks to get her things shipped here and then move here permanently. I was wondering if it makes any difference if we start our permanent residence application right away or after she makes her final entry into the country? The original plan was to apply after she settled in here, but I've read that the border/customs people might not be receptive to her showing up at the border with all her stuff if she can't show that she's at least begun the process of immigrating to the country legally. But I also don't know if applying as an inland couple before she goes to the border with all her stuff might look weird, or if it's worth the hassle of trying to start the application during a short visit. Thanks for any insight anyone here might have :)

My mother was denied boarding by Turkish Airlines today on a flight from Istanbul to Vancouver. She has a valid Canadian immigrant visa (IM-1), valid COPR, and valid passport planning to land for the 1st time. The airline only said the visa was “invalid” but provided no explanation. The visa is valid for another month!

The immigration process originally started with an older passport, but the immigrant visa was issued later in a renewed passport. We are wondering if this could be related.

Does anyone know:

• who on the Canadian side we can contact to clarify this,
• whether there is a way to check her immigration status,
• or what system airlines use for this?

We have not been able to reach IRCC yet and Turkish Airlines has not provided useful information.