If you are an international student in Canada and you intend to apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) but you check your study permit and suddenly realize that you forgot to extend your study permit and now it is expired. This means you are out of status in Canada and begin to panic because it is a serious issue. It is an infraction of the rules and regulations of the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that you must have a valid status as an international student in Canada studying at a designated learning institution (DLI).

So, what do you do now? Will Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) deport you? Well, there is something you can do and you still have a chance to apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP).

Restoration of Status

According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), if you let your study permit expire, you must apply to restore your status, and then you can apply for PGWP.

Provided your study permit did not expire for more than 90 days, you can apply for restoration of your study permit status. If your study permit has expired for more than 90 days, this is a serious issue that might lead to a study permit extension rejection and you may need to speak to a licensed immigration consultant or an immigration lawyer.

In order to restore your status, you need to follow the process outlined by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

As an international student in Canada, you should not allow your work permit to expire and thereby lose your status in Canada. When you apply to renew your status, there is no guarantee that it will be restored. Since the restoration of status is a sensitive application, we suggest you retain the services of an experienced Canada immigration consultant or immigration lawyer to craft a powerful and convincing submission articulating why your study permit status should be restored.

An application for restoration of status is not simply an application but a well-planned submission and you have to be prepared to explain why the study permit expired and the reasons it should be restored. If your case is just the expiration of the study permit, it may be less complicated than a case of an international student who entered Canada and did not continue with his or her studies, and now the study permit expires.

A study permit presents a fantastic opportunity for international students in Canada to become permanent residents.

This is possible because, after your program at a designated learning institution in Canada wherein you studied for a program that is PGWP-eligible, you can apply for a post-graduation work permit. With this work permit, you can work in Canada, gain Canadian work experience for at least one year, and then apply for Canada PR through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program under the Express Entry system.

So, do not misuse this opportunity; monitor your study permit expiration date and even set a reminder to renew it.

Do you want to restore your status, renew your study permit or apply for PGWP or permanent residence under the Express Entry system?

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