Context: pandemic-era backlog when PGWP waits of 5–7 months were common; one member applied in September and got the permit in April. Processing times change — check IRCC's current estimates.Several members waiting months for their PGWP compared notes on what you can and can't do in the gap:
- You can generally keep working while the decision is pending. If you applied for the PGWP before your study permit expired, you have authorization to work while IRCC processes it (maintained/implied status). One member had heard work was limited to 4 months on the acknowledgement letter; the group's consensus, citing IRCC's own website, was that you may work for the full time the decision is pending — verify the current rule on the IRCC site rather than relying on hearsay.
- Think twice about leaving Canada while it's pending. Members flagged that re-entry is the problem: if you also need a TRV, you can only apply for it after the work permit is issued, so travelling out mid-process risks being unable to return smoothly.
- Expect uneven timelines. In the same thread: one wait of 5 months and counting, another at 4.5 months, another September→April (~7 months). Backlogs clear unevenly, so a friend's fast approval doesn't predict yours.