PGWP + Online U.S. Degree + Express Entry Question

[inrbandz]

Hi everyone,

I’m currently in Canada on a PGWP working full time and looking into completing a fully online degree from a U.S. institution while staying in Canada. The program would be done entirely online with no physical attendance and no connection to any Canadian DLI. My understanding is that studying in Canada for more than 6 months normally requires a study permit, but that rule mainly applies to Canadian institutions, and foreign online programs seem to fall outside that scope since you are not entering the Canadian education system. My goal is to continue working full time, complete the degree remotely, and later use it for Express Entry assuming it gets assessed as equivalent to a Canadian credential through an ECA like WES.


I just want to confirm if this setup is actually fine from an IRCC perspective or if there is any risk of issues later. Specifically, has anyone here completed a full-length foreign online degree while on PGWP without a study permit and successfully used it for Express Entry? Also, at the PR stage, does IRCC ever question how the degree was completed during PGWP, or do they only look at the ECA and legitimacy of the credential? Any real experiences or clear guidance would be appreciated.

 

[canuck78]

Hi everyone,

I’m currently in Canada on a PGWP working full time and looking into completing a fully online degree from a U.S. institution while staying in Canada. The program would be done entirely online with no physical attendance and no connection to any Canadian DLI. My understanding is that studying in Canada for more than 6 months normally requires a study permit, but that rule mainly applies to Canadian institutions, and foreign online programs seem to fall outside that scope since you are not entering the Canadian education system. My goal is to continue working full time, complete the degree remotely, and later use it for Express Entry assuming it gets assessed as equivalent to a Canadian credential through an ECA like WES.


I just want to confirm if this setup is actually fine from an IRCC perspective or if there is any risk of issues later. Specifically, has anyone here completed a full-length foreign online degree while on PGWP without a study permit and successfully used it for Express Entry? Also, at the PR stage, does IRCC ever question how the degree was completed during PGWP, or do they only look at the ECA and legitimacy of the credential? Any real experiences or clear guidance would be appreciated.

Speak to a lawyer and get a response from IRCC in writing. Think I saw a recent case or ATIP where the person couldn’t count their Canadian work experience during studies because they were studying full-time even if their studies where not through a Canadian school.

 

[volapan]

Hi everyone,

I’m currently in Canada on a PGWP working full time and looking into completing a fully online degree from a U.S. institution while staying in Canada. The program would be done entirely online with no physical attendance and no connection to any Canadian DLI. My understanding is that studying in Canada for more than 6 months normally requires a study permit, but that rule mainly applies to Canadian institutions, and foreign online programs seem to fall outside that scope since you are not entering the Canadian education system. My goal is to continue working full time, complete the degree remotely, and later use it for Express Entry assuming it gets assessed as equivalent to a Canadian credential through an ECA like WES.


I just want to confirm if this setup is actually fine from an IRCC perspective or if there is any risk of issues later. Specifically, has anyone here completed a full-length foreign online degree while on PGWP without a study permit and successfully used it for Express Entry? Also, at the PR stage, does IRCC ever question how the degree was completed during PGWP, or do they only look at the ECA and legitimacy of the credential? Much like how super 7 casino focuses only on verifying your account credentials rather than questioning your entire history, IRCC typically looks at the ECA and legitimacy of the credential. Any real experiences or clear guidance would be appreciated.

Your understanding is correct! Studying online from a foreign institution while in Canada does not require a study permit since that rule only applies to Canadian DLIs. IRCC has no jurisdiction over a fully online US program and your PGWP remains completely unaffected. For Express Entry IRCC only looks at the ECA result and credential legitimacy, they do not investigate where you physically completed an online degree. Just make sure the US program is regionally accredited since that is what WES recognizes.