Historical: this thread is about IRCC's temporary COVID-19 distance-learning measures, which ended August 31, 2022. Verify current PGWP rules before relying on any of this.A student asked whether they could complete online semesters from India (keeping their job) and travel to Canada later, and what it would do to their post-graduation work permit (PGWP). The thread laid out the rule as it stood:
- Online study from abroad counted toward PGWP — but only until August 31, 2022. Time spent studying outside Canada before that date counted toward the overall PGWP length.
- After that cutoff, foreign study time was deducted. Any semesters completed outside Canada after August 31, 2022 were subtracted from the PGWP's length — one member calculated that a single semester studied from home would cost them four months of work permit.
- Plan for the visa-pending scenario. One student had started classes online while their visa result was pending, with in-person attendance required from semester two — plus a job notice period to serve. The practical takeaway: if your visa is undecided, map out what happens if it doesn't arrive before in-person classes start, including how much notice your employer needs.