Work Permits - Off Campus Work Permit or Post Graduate Work Permit?

Hello Guys,

Today I am going to share my research on work permit, especially for students. While students encounter two types of work permit - off-campus work permit (OCWP)and post graduate work permit (PGWP), most of us have many questions like when to apply for OCWP? can we do the job once we graduate but PGWP is under processing and so on. CIC has given many policies that are so vague that one cannot understand that clearly, even if they want to and I am one of them. As you all know that I am student and now I will be graduating this April, I had also done my research by contacting my international office in university, CIC and my pals, and now I am going to share my knowledge with you.

Well, as everybody is aware OCWP allows you to work during your studies and is only issued once you have completed 6 (six) months of your education in University/College. It is actually issued until the tenure of your study permit. But now the question is what happens after you graduate, you have a job offer BUT your PGWP is under processing. At this time the OCWP actually acts as a bridge or transient permit, allowing you to work for 90 days until your PGWP is issued. Once, your PGWP is issued, OCWP is inactive and you work under the conditions specified by your PGWP.

Now another question is about the duration of your PGWP. Well, that depends on your course length. In simple words, If you are doing a Graduate Certificate from College, you will get PGWP for 8 months because on your offer letter, the length of your course mentioned is 8 months. For Masters students, if you are course-based or thesis-based, regardless of the fact whether you completed your Masters degree in 1 year or 1.5 years or more, you will get your PGWP for 3 years. That's true because on your offer letter it states that the official length of your Master's degree in 2-3 years. All my friends in Master's degree who completed in 1 or 1.5 years have got 3 years of PGWP! Undergraduates doesn't have to worry because their course length is usually 4-5 years and so, they get the maximum length of PGWP.

So guys this is the knowledge I have obtained from my sources. If you have any updates available from your experiences, please share and yes, do answer this questions which most of my friends asked me, 'Does the PGWP length depends on official length or current Passport expiry? What is Passport is expiring in 2 years, will they still get PGWP for 3 years? or till the expiry of their passport?'

I am researching for this answer, but all in vain. As you know nobody here knows the exact answers. So, people share your experiences here!!

Thanks,

Shruti