Applied by mail: Oct 08, 2019
Review of application: Feb 08, 2020 (few days after.. I received the best birthday gift I could ever ask for
)
Approved: Feb 10, 2020
Like what others do.. I also want to share my PGWP story
My 1st PGWP application was on March 02, 2018 and I received a refusal letter after exactly a month because I studied in a private school. This was not discussed with me by my individual consultant before and after I arrived in Canada and also by the school during my study and after I graduated that IRCC does not approve PGWP applicants from private schools. I felt betrayed by my fellow countrywoman and it was really heartbreaking but I had no choice but to move on and study again in a public school even though my parents were not financially prepared for it.
My 2nd PGWP application was on June 04, 2019 and it got refused on Oct. 02, 2019, 1 week after the officer requested to upload a document which is my TOR from previous program. I had no one to blame because it was my mistake for not clicking the 'next/submit button' in my CIC account to submit the file and for not TRIPLE checking it if the document was submitted or not. On my 3rd application, I made sure to ask help from an organization and an immigration lawyer to avoid making mistakes again as this would be my final chance of applying PGWP. After reading posts from this thread and confirming it from an IRCC agent, I learned that I have to pay $150 to restore my student permit before they could start processing my status as a worker and PGWP application. So, I did and submitted it through webform. Finally, after 8 months of waiting I could finally say my life in Canada has begun to move forward! Almost 2 years of wait time in total
Lessons from my experience:
1) DO NOT ONLY RELY on consultants/lawyers' suggestions or answers - be proactive. I have learned a lot about work permits and different pathways by reading CIC website and forums.
2) NEVER lose hope and HAVE a positive mind. Cliche as it sounds but it works 100%, I know how it feels to be anxious and depressed because of refusal and long wait for approval. Having a positive mind helped me to think clearly and thought of the next steps I could do with my situation.
3) TRIPLE CHECK your application. It's okay to make mistakes - we're all human being, but make sure to avoid it so you won't experience what I experienced.
4) DO NOT study in a private school. If you are right now, see if you can still transfer to a public school.
Thank you for all those people who shared their stories in this thread. Also, to
@Naddie who was patient enough to answer all my questions! I wish us all the best in life!