PGWP refused due to part time studies

[Tutuskelley]

I applied for my PGWP after my masters program and I was refused because the visa officer said I had two part-time semesters.
I reapplied for a PGWP in which I explained my reasons for having two part-time semesters. My reason is that in the 2025 2026 academic year. I only had six credit hours to complete my program requirement. I registered for two courses in fall 2025. Those courses were 3 credits each making 6 credits in total. One of those courses spanned across fall 2025 and winter 2026. Due to this, I had two part-time semesters.

In my second application, I got a letter from the registrar of my school stating that I had only six credit hours in that academic year to complete my degree requirements and that one of those courses spanned two semesters. I also attached the official course outline for that particular course and also took a screenshot of my student portal which showed the course as term “B” meaning the course spanned both terms. I also added a letter of explanation and stated that my two semesters were as a result of the schools academic structure rather than a deliberate attempt by me to extend my studies.

What do you guys think my chances of getting approved is. I honestly haven’t seen a lot of situations like mine online.

Thanks

 

[Naturgrl]

No one can tell you your chances. You were part time for two semesters. When did you complete your program as you stopped working when you were refused.

 

[Tutuskelley]

No one can tell you your chances. You were part time for two semesters. When did you complete your program as you stopped working when you were refused.

I stopped working immediately I got refused and resumed after putting in another application.. I finished school in May 2026

 

[Naturgrl]

I stopped working immediately I got refused and resumed after putting in another application.. I finished school in May 2026

If your program ended more than 90 days ago when you reapplied then you had to restore status too. And then not eligible to apply within Canada. That is why all the dates are important.

 

[Tutuskelley]

If your program ended more than 90 days ago when you reapplied then you had to restore status too. And then not eligible to apply within Canada. That is why all the dates are important.

My letter of completion was on May 13, 2026. So I was within the 90 days and also within the 180 days to be eligible for PGWP. I called IRCC to inquire before putting in my second application.

 

[Naturgrl]

My letter of completion was on May 13, 2026. So I was within the 90 days and also within the 180 days to be eligible for PGWP. I called IRCC to inquire before putting in my second application.

So you reapplied and can work.

 

[Tutuskelley]

So you reapplied and can work.

Yes I reapplied and resumed work.. in fact I reapplied exactly 3 days after I was refused.. I can’t really find any similar stories to mine.. I read somewhere that if I am able to prove that I did not deliberately extend my study, but rather the circumstances surrounding my two terms was beyond my control, I will be approved. I attached a letter from the register of my school, the official course outline showing it’s spanned two terms and my student portal to show this particular course was a two semester course in order to prove that the situation was beyond my control and not deliberate.

 

[mingyangottawa]

IRCC's PGWP guidelines carve out a specific exception for exactly this pattern. Applicants generally have to maintain full-time status in every academic session of the program, but there's a named exception for a final academic session where the applicant only has part-time status: if you meet every other PGWP requirement and the only issue is full-time status in your final academic session, you're still considered eligible. IRCC defines "final academic session" as any semester in which a student could complete their program of study, and explicitly addresses the situation where something outside the student's control pushes that into two semesters, using a fail-and-retake as the example: both semesters can be treated as the final academic session in that case.
Your situation reads like a close match to what that exception was written for. You had six credit hours left to finish the degree, split across fall and one course that ran into winter because of how the school structured it (term B). That's the school's academic calendar, not something you can do, and it's the kind of "structural, not deliberate" pattern this exception exists for.

 

[Tutuskelley]

IRCC's PGWP guidelines carve out a specific exception for exactly this pattern. Applicants generally have to maintain full-time status in every academic session of the program, but there's a named exception for a final academic session where the applicant only has part-time status: if you meet every other PGWP requirement and the only issue is full-time status in your final academic session, you're still considered eligible. IRCC defines "final academic session" as any semester in which a student could complete their program of study, and explicitly addresses the situation where something outside the student's control pushes that into two semesters, using a fail-and-retake as the example: both semesters can be treated as the final academic session in that case.
Your situation reads like a close match to what that exception was written for. You had six credit hours left to finish the degree, split across fall and one course that ran into winter because of how the school structured it (term B). That's the school's academic calendar, not something you can do, and it's the kind of "structural, not deliberate" pattern this exception exists for.

Thank you..