Let's share timeline, PGWP March applicant
- Thread starter yukiyuki111
- Start date
Greetings Members,
Today my GF and I were out of the house by 6:40am to head out for the FP adventure. We arrived at the border by 9:16am. I headed straight to the US side, got the piece of paper marked with FP and back to Canada customs.
I introduced myself and immediately asked to apply for a PGWP. The officer asked for my university confirmation letter, passport, current valid SP. I also voluntarily provided my degree parchment. He immediately smiled and obviously knew my university. We had a little chat and laughed about certain things. The officer was very kind, respectful and quite diligent.
Within 32 minutes, my 3 year PGWP was processed. All the officers seemed very customer care orientated. I left happily and with gratitude.
After I left the border, I immediately headed for SC office to process and renew the expiry date of my SIN.
Like I've been saying all along, be confident not cocky. Say thank you and be friendly.
My long wait is over.
Good luck to everyone still waiting.
P.S: I will update members' timelines tomorrow.
Congratulations to all who have made the border adventure.
Cheers!
Today my GF and I were out of the house by 6:40am to head out for the FP adventure. We arrived at the border by 9:16am. I headed straight to the US side, got the piece of paper marked with FP and back to Canada customs.
I introduced myself and immediately asked to apply for a PGWP. The officer asked for my university confirmation letter, passport, current valid SP. I also voluntarily provided my degree parchment. He immediately smiled and obviously knew my university. We had a little chat and laughed about certain things. The officer was very kind, respectful and quite diligent.
Within 32 minutes, my 3 year PGWP was processed. All the officers seemed very customer care orientated. I left happily and with gratitude.
After I left the border, I immediately headed for SC office to process and renew the expiry date of my SIN.
Like I've been saying all along, be confident not cocky. Say thank you and be friendly.
My long wait is over.
Good luck to everyone still waiting.
P.S: I will update members' timelines tomorrow.
Congratulations to all who have made the border adventure.
Cheers!
jubear said:Greetings Members,
Today my GF and I were out of the house by 6:40am to head out for the FP adventure. We arrived at the border by 9:16am. I headed straight to the US side, got the piece of paper marked with FP and back to Canada customs.
I introduced myself and immediately asked to apply for a PGWP. The officer asked for my university confirmation letter, passport, current valid SP. I also voluntarily provided my degree parchment. He immediately smiled and obviously knew my university. We had a little chat and laughed about certain things. The officer was very kind, respectful and quite diligent.
Within 32 minutes, my 3 year PGWP was processed. All the officers seemed very customer care orientated. I left happily and with gratitude.
After I left the border, I immediately headed for SC office to process and renew the expiry date of my SIN.
Like I've been saying all along, be confident not cocky. Say thank you and be friendly.
My long wait is over.
Good luck to everyone still waiting.
P.S: I will update members' timelines tomorrow.
Congratulations to all who have made the border adventure.
Cheers!
Congrats brother
May I ask which border you went ?
Im planing to do this thing next monday, if i dont get work permit this week
I plan to go down rainbow bridge and get it some time this week. Just have a couple of questions before I go:
I have my transcript 5 years (including some co-op time, date that I was approved for graduation which is late May), offer letter from 2010, a letter from university stating during may I was registered and in my 5th year and also completed study in May (no end day). Study permit ( the recent valid one and expired one 2010-2014. I will print out the application form (is it necessary? I don't have a printer) and lastly my passport. Is that everything I need?
Also, has anyone done this during the night say 3:00 in the morning?
Thank you!
I have my transcript 5 years (including some co-op time, date that I was approved for graduation which is late May), offer letter from 2010, a letter from university stating during may I was registered and in my 5th year and also completed study in May (no end day). Study permit ( the recent valid one and expired one 2010-2014. I will print out the application form (is it necessary? I don't have a printer) and lastly my passport. Is that everything I need?
Also, has anyone done this during the night say 3:00 in the morning?
Thank you!
Many congratulations man! And also thanks for helping out on all occasions. All the best for the future.jubear said:Greetings Members,
Today my GF and I were out of the house by 6:40am to head out for the FP adventure. We arrived at the border by 9:16am. I headed straight to the US side, got the piece of paper marked with FP and back to Canada customs.
I introduced myself and immediately asked to apply for a PGWP. The officer asked for my university confirmation letter, passport, current valid SP. I also voluntarily provided my degree parchment. He immediately smiled and obviously knew my university. We had a little chat and laughed about certain things. The officer was very kind, respectful and quite diligent.
Within 32 minutes, my 3 year PGWP was processed. All the officers seemed very customer care orientated. I left happily and with gratitude.
After I left the border, I immediately headed for SC office to process and renew the expiry date of my SIN.
Like I've been saying all along, be confident not cocky. Say thank you and be friendly.
My long wait is over.
Good luck to everyone still waiting.
P.S: I will update members' timelines tomorrow.
Congratulations to all who have made the border adventure.
Cheers!
Thank you. May I ask what province you are from?Lapta said:Congrats brother
May I ask which border you went ?
Im planing to do this thing next monday, if i dont get work permit this week
I you applied on May 15, 2015, you definitely can't get your PGWP this week. So its best you compile your documents, plan your journey and get going. Keep in mind the more you wait, the more time you lose on you current SP or WP.
Cheers!
Kayeebun,Kayeebun said:
You have everything except the most important one: The official document that identifies you, which is your passport. Go with an IMM5710E filled out and printed just in case. Go with originals and photocopies of your documents. Carry your college/university ID with you. Have two file folders (one for originals and the other for copies). Documents should be well arranged and tidy. Remember to have $255 on your debit/credit card.
When answering questions be confident and humble, and show evidence as you answer.
Sample Q&A
1. Do you have a confirmation letter from your college/university?
Ans: Yes, I do. Here is the copy and the original.
2. Can I have a look at your current SP or WP?
Ans: Yes, here is the original.
3. What was the duration of your program?
Ans: 4 years. Here is my transcript indicating the start year and end year.
4. Have you recently done any medicals?
Ans: Yes or No
5. Do you have your passport with you?
Ans: Yes, I do. Here you are.
To everyone out there who is planning to go FP, those are simple questions, no doubt. But the answers one gives can complicate their situation. So, keep it simple and be friendly. In my case I also dressed respectably (no tie or jacket though). You won't be taken seriously and/or respected if you wear jeans and T-shirts. Believe it or not, image is important. It makes life easier.
Lastly, avoid showing up at 3:00am in the morning for goodness' sake. You will cause suspicion. Wake up at 6:00am and make your journey. Be there between 7:00am and 9:30am. The less busy it is, the better service you get.
Greet the officer(s) you speak to. A simple 'good morning, how are you doing today' is good for the whole transaction to go well. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. So be ready for any question. Most importantly remain positive.
Good luck. Let us know about your adventure.
Cheers!
Congrats jubear!! Good to know you received the 3 year PGWP!!
I need your advice.. how long was your course?
My offer letter states course as Sep 2013 to Dec 2014.. which is only 16 months.. My other friends from same course applied online but got 3 year PGWP but the people on this forum who did 20 month course and applied AT BORDER were told they can get only 20-22 month PGWP.
Do you think I can get 3 year PGWP at border??
I need your advice.. how long was your course?
My offer letter states course as Sep 2013 to Dec 2014.. which is only 16 months.. My other friends from same course applied online but got 3 year PGWP but the people on this forum who did 20 month course and applied AT BORDER were told they can get only 20-22 month PGWP.
Do you think I can get 3 year PGWP at border??
Tried to get PGWP and OWP for my spouse a few hours ago at Rainbow bridge Niagara Falls. We both came around 11 pm, waiting for about 1 hour until they start processing us. I have all necessary documents plus letter from my employer proofs that Im working on NOC ), A,B.
The officer was very nice and polite. She check our passports and study permit and then she asked us about insurance. I said that i don't bring my insurance, I left it at home becouse it is not in a CIC list. She said that she tried to search it (I was lucky :-[ she never gave OWP before) and she said that we need insurance. And without insurance she can not process our permits. And she mentioned that permit would be the same leight as the insurance. I tried to argue with her, mentioned that I called CIC and CIBC to verify all documents and CIC is not in the list. But she said it is becouse employee need to have coverage if something happened.
So that basically it. We don't get the permits.
And I checked the CBSA website again there is nothing says about insurance.
So getting Permits with CBSA is literally russian roulette.
The officer was very nice and polite. She check our passports and study permit and then she asked us about insurance. I said that i don't bring my insurance, I left it at home becouse it is not in a CIC list. She said that she tried to search it (I was lucky :-[ she never gave OWP before) and she said that we need insurance. And without insurance she can not process our permits. And she mentioned that permit would be the same leight as the insurance. I tried to argue with her, mentioned that I called CIC and CIBC to verify all documents and CIC is not in the list. But she said it is becouse employee need to have coverage if something happened.
So that basically it. We don't get the permits.
And I checked the CBSA website again there is nothing says about insurance.
So getting Permits with CBSA is literally russian roulette.
Nevillek,nevillek said:
I finished my second degree of which my program was a 4 year degree from a University. But also remember that there are some members on this forum who got 3 years PGWP at the border. Try to look at the positive side of things.
HERE IS MY SIMPLE ANALYSIS.
By virtue of R197 and R198, work permits under the PGWP program may also be issued at POE or by visa offices overseas. For administrative purposes, it is more facilitative to refer clients to apply online or on paper to the CPC-V. See link: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2002-227/page-86.html#docCont
Duration of PGWP
Work permits issued under the PGWP program may be valid for up to 3-years.
For example;
1- If the program of study is eight months (minimum duration), then the duration of the work permit should be eight months.
2- If the program of study is at least eight months but less than two years, then the duration of the work permit should coincide with the duration of the program of study.
3- If the program of study is at least two years, then the duration of the work permit should be three years.
4- If students who obtained a one-year graduate degree or diploma from an eligible institution in Canada after having obtained, within the prior two years, another diploma or degree from an eligible institution in Canada, then the duration of the work permit may be up to 3 three years.
No application whether done at the border, online, or by paper gives you the right to a 3-year PGWP. None whatsoever. Therefore, watch out for points 2, 3, & 4.. I will again stress this; how you answer questions matters. But if you honestly have every original document/evidence, there shouldn't be a problem.
Again, whether the application was made online, at the border, or by paper, approving the WP is at the discretion of the agent working on your file.
Diploma, Bachelor, Masters, PhD Programs (what most international students refer to as courses)
If you are a graduate with a bachelors degree, you may not have problems. Most bachelors degrees are known to be 4 or 5 years. That is easy. However, you must have been a full-time student throughout EXCEPT in your last semester (NOT in your last year). If you had breaks during academic sessions (Fall, Spring, Summer) or weren't a full-time student, the agent at CIC or border has the authority to give you a PGWP with the years you deserve.
Diploma, Masters, and PhD programs tend to be susceptible to more scrutiny. Why is this? Because their durations vary widely especially diplomas from colleges. Some colleges tend to advertise diplomas as 2-year programs, yet practically they are not. That is why students go to school and they end up completing within 15, 16 or 18 months instead of 24 months or more. We must remember that colleges advertise knowing that the students' end game is not only education, but also a 3-year PGWP. Therefore, they sell their product (diploma program) accordingly. So CIC and CBSA is very much aware of this. This is why some students have got less time on their PGWP even when they applied online, paper, or at the border.
Diplomas, Masters and PhDs can take longer to process because agents will do their research (and scrutinize) as you wait. They are just doing their job.
My answer to your second question is this: There is no guarantee that you will receive a 3-year PGWP no matter what channel you used to apply; be it online, at the border, or a mailed paper application. Anything can happen.
Hope for the best, prepare for the worst and stay positive.
All I wish you is good luck. However, luck finds those who are prepared.
Cheers!
Hey there, I'm new here.
I have a question regarding the application for the PGWP, I finished my last course about 3 weeks ago and my teacher sent my grade last week,
Today I went to my university to request a confirmation letter of graduation as well as a final transcript. And they told me that they couldn't issue me a final transcript until the first week of october, when all the grades from spring/summer terms are released.
They do however said they could issue me a letter confirming that I finished all my requirements and I'm eligible to graduate
I'm not a little confused about the application for the PGWP, I read that in order to apply you need BOTH the confirmation letter and the final transcript, but I can't really wait till october to get that final transcript cause I might be out of the 90 days after completing the course.
So now I'm nervous about applying just with the confirmation letter of graduation
anyone here has applied just with that confirmation letter of graduation and have received their PGWP successfully?
thank you so much for your help!
A.
I have a question regarding the application for the PGWP, I finished my last course about 3 weeks ago and my teacher sent my grade last week,
Today I went to my university to request a confirmation letter of graduation as well as a final transcript. And they told me that they couldn't issue me a final transcript until the first week of october, when all the grades from spring/summer terms are released.
They do however said they could issue me a letter confirming that I finished all my requirements and I'm eligible to graduate
I'm not a little confused about the application for the PGWP, I read that in order to apply you need BOTH the confirmation letter and the final transcript, but I can't really wait till october to get that final transcript cause I might be out of the 90 days after completing the course.
So now I'm nervous about applying just with the confirmation letter of graduation
anyone here has applied just with that confirmation letter of graduation and have received their PGWP successfully?
thank you so much for your help!
A.