+1(514) 937-9445 or Toll-free (Canada & US) +1 (888) 947-9445

co-op work term on PGWP counted as work experience

Member01

Full Member
May 20, 2017
40
1
Hi Everyone,

I am having the same situation as bijpa01. I am an international student and currently working as a co-op on Post-graduation work permit. Also, the CIC website states that any full-time work experience count on PGWP is counted. Can anyone please give some directions on it based on their experience.

Your help is greatly appreciated !!
 

Bs65

VIP Member
Mar 22, 2016
13,190
2,419
Hi Everyone,

I am having the same situation as bijpa01. I am an international student and currently working as a co-op on Post-graduation work permit. Also, the CIC website states that any full-time work experience count on PGWP is counted. Can anyone please give some directions on it based on their experience.

Your help is greatly appreciated !!
So are you or are you not still in education where a coop would generally think be part of your course. I guess I personally do not understand how you could have a PGWP and also be working as a coop unless you are still in education and on a study permit still in parallel.
 

Member01

Full Member
May 20, 2017
40
1
So are you or are you not still in education where a coop would generally think be part of your course. I guess I personally do not understand how you could have a PGWP and also be working as a coop unless you are still in education and on a study permit still in parallel.
Hi, I am graduated that means I am not in my education. I am doing voluntary work as coop on PGWP to get experience
 
  • Like
Reactions: 17ha15

yyzstudent

Champion Member
Nov 6, 2015
1,335
701
Your employer should not have hired you in a "co-op" position. (It is not the same as an internship, which is OK and quite normal after graduation).
No! It is NOT ok. Internship positions are only allowed to be given to students who are ENROLLED in studies and to which the internship is part of their education to get credits and be able to graduate. Once you have graduated an employer can not hire you on an internship.
 

17ha15

Hero Member
Oct 15, 2018
219
15
No! It is NOT ok. Internship positions are only allowed to be given to students who are ENROLLED in studies and to which the internship is part of their education to get credits and be able to graduate. Once you have graduated an employer can not hire you on an internship.
YOu are wrong. Internship graduate positions can be offered after graduation while on PGWP and can be counted as work experience for express entry! WHile coop positions are only offered while studying and will not be considered as work experience for express entry. In the case where you are on PGWP and doing a coop, the best thing you can do is to show t4 tax info, payslips, and a document from the Hr that you are an “intern” at the company! This will solve your case for the express entry work exp
 

yyzstudent

Champion Member
Nov 6, 2015
1,335
701
YOu are wrong. Internship graduate positions can be offered after graduation while on PGWP and can be counted as work experience for express entry! WHile coop positions are only offered while studying and will not be considered as work experience for express entry. In the case where you are on PGWP and doing a coop, the best thing you can do is to show t4 tax info, payslips, and a document from the Hr that you are an “intern” at the company! This will solve your case for the express entry work exp
Only if they are paid. And the law of internship has no relationships to immigration.
(I hire summer interns from colleges in a position that relates to their field of studies, and they get paid.)
 

intl_stu

Hero Member
Oct 4, 2017
218
78
I don’t know your college/ universities but if co-op is part of your program requirement then you should have applied for co-op work permit to complete the co-op/internship term full time. If you were hired as a full time trainee after obtaining your degree completion letter or on PGWP or even when you were on implied status to obtain your PGWP then it will consider as full time employment under express entry.

As mentioned in one of the comments above, co-op is designed for students to gain experience while they are enrolled in studies and there are tax benefits gained by employer too so you should check with your employer whether it was an entry level trainee position or not.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: jes_ON

jes_ON

VIP Member
Jun 22, 2009
12,092
1,421
Category........
Visa Office......
New York
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
06-May-2010
AOR Received.
13-Aug-2010
File Transfer...
01-Mar-2011
Passport Req..
30-Jun-2011
VISA ISSUED...
12-Jul-2011 (received 25-Jul-2011)
LANDED..........
03-Sep-2011
No! It is NOT ok. Internship positions are only allowed to be given to students who are ENROLLED in studies and to which the internship is part of their education to get credits and be able to graduate.
That can be one type of internship, other types of internships are done post-graduation and are paid (can also be unpaid, but then does not count as employment).

Once you have graduated an employer can not hire you on an internship.
Incorrect. There are all kinds of internships, including government, which are offered to graduates.
 

roja12

Member
Oct 27, 2017
16
12
Hi,
I am sailing in same boat and going to start creating my CEC profile, but I am in a great confusion now.
I studied one year post graduate diploma and in last semester there was a 280 hours of co-op. I got a contract job for one year(40 hours/week) in noc A, designation as Network engineer Co-op and told my program coordinator same, he was satisfied till i complete the expected hours and can submit required documents to gain my grades. i started the job on 22 July 2019 and completed my hours on 12 Sep 2019.Got my grades and transcript on 14 sep 2019 and applied PGWP same day.
The thing is am working on same designation as CO-OP since 14 sep 2019 till date and my contract is also extended till Dec 2020. Now i am super confused using this period(14 sep 2019- till date) thats counts 1 year for my Canadian experience as the designation still says co-op in it.
Will i be rejected if i use this experience.
 

sukhdeep1991

Newbie
Feb 20, 2020
2
0
Hi,

I was an international student and currently on an open post graduation work permit. I was graduated in 2015 and started working as co-op student. So, my question is, my co-op experience earned while on an open work permit could be counted as work experience while applying for PR?

Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Hi , Could yoy please share your experience. I have same problem