So you’ve just finished your program, got your completion letter, and are probably feeling a mix of relief and excitement. But here’s something a lot of grads overlook: your student work permit usually ends the day your program finishes — even if you’re still waiting to apply for your PGWP. That means any work you do after that date, unless you’re on a valid post-graduation work permit or eligible under a different permit type, is technically unauthorized.

It’s easy to assume you can keep working while you wait, especially if you’re still in Canada and have a job lined up. But the clock starts ticking as soon as your school confirms your completion. Even if your job is full-time and you’ve been working on campus or off, that work isn’t allowed after your program ends unless you’ve already applied for your PGWP — and even then, it’s only valid if your application is submitted within 180 days of finishing.

A lot of people don’t realize how thin the window is. You need to submit your PGWP application before your student permit expires, and you need to have completed at least 8 months of a qualifying program at a designated learning institution (DLI). For Quebec programs, it’s usually 900 hours or more. If you’re not sure if your program qualifies, check your school’s official documentation or the IRCC PGWP eligibility page.

So here’s what we’re wondering: are you more worried about your job falling through after graduation, or about accidentally breaking your status by working past your permit’s end date? And what’s your plan for applying within the 180-day window?

If you’re in the same boat — just finished your studies, still figuring out next steps — let’s hear from you. What’s your timeline, and how are you managing the gap between graduation and PGWP approval?