A graduate with 10 years' experience asked whether a 1+1 (two consecutive 8-month programs) yields a PGWP of 16 months or 3 years, and whether it hurts the PR pathway. Members answered from direct experience:
- Two 8-month programs earned a 3-year PGWP. A member who did exactly this — 1+1, each program 8 months — confirmed they received a 3-year PGWP. Under the rules at the time, combining two eligible programs totalling 16+ months qualified for the maximum-length permit rather than one matching the course duration.
- The programs didn't need to be in the same field — a member asked whether the second program must align with the first; the thread's experience-holder had gotten the 3-year permit, and no field-alignment requirement surfaced in the discussion.
- Province choice drew strategic advice. One member argued that PR chances were better outside Ontario and BC due to competition, and suggested considering institutes in other provinces. Another member countered the Ontario question with the honest answer: whether an Ontario PNP works out "depends on how strong your profile is in the prevailing circumstances" — there is no guaranteed provincial shortcut.
Important historical caveat: PGWP rules have changed substantially since this thread — field-of-study requirements, program-eligibility restrictions, and length calculations have all been revised. Treat the 1+1 → 3-year outcome as what members experienced then, and verify current PGWP eligibility on IRCC's site before choosing programs on this basis.