For those of you here giving advice without even understanding or studying immigration law, I would say rein it in. Each person's situation is different, a solution that might have worked for person A wouldn't necessarily work for person B. Secondly, there is something called "Dual Intent" in the Canadian immigration law, (IRPA) states: “An intention by a foreign national to become a permanent resident does not preclude them from becoming a temporary resident if the officer is satisfied that they will leave Canada by the end of the period authorized for their stay”. Furthermore, Subsection 216(1) is not used as a reason for rejection because of hints that the applicant has intentions of becoming a permanent resident in the future, it simply means that the applicant did not satisfy the officer - with whatever supporting documents submitted- that they will leave Canada at the end of their permitted stay. Look up the following precedent to learn more about this "Stanislavsky v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration)".
" ...but they are promoting for it, they say -come to Canada to study and gain residency. Heck, they even put programs in place specifically for graduates to stay in Canada i.e. PGWP" some of you might say. That's true! However, the officers are merely concerned about the illegal stay, when one is not successful in scoring neither a PGWP nor an invitation to apply for PR. What do they do, STAY ILLEGALLY in the country!
Applying to gain a Diploma after a Bachelor's degree is also not necessarily a reason for rejection, as long as the applicant provides a reasonable explanation showcasing how this program is related to his previous studies and/or work experience. Albeit a natural progression is advised, it doesn't mean that everyone ought to comply. Your decision to take up a Project Management course after your Civil Engineering degree combined with your work experience means complete sense. The following precedent touches slightly on this "Yaqoob v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2015 FC 1370 (CanLII)".
For the gentleman who received a rejection, I am sorry for that. As others suggested, it would be ideal to retrieve the GCMS notes to better understand the officer's reasoning for the rejection. In doing so, you'll better tackle these reasons in your following submission. If you don't have time for that, I would advise you to study each of the sections/subsections quoted carefully and prepare a strong SOP and evidence to refute them.
Wishing you the best of luck!
