An applicant came to us after their Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) application was refused. The refusal turned on a requirement that many applicants are still unaware of: PGWP applications filed on or after November 1, 2024 must show minimum language ability in all four skill areas, and the applicant's file had not included those results.
The Officer Decision Notes set out the reason plainly:
"PGWP applications submitted on or after November 1, 2024, must demonstrate Applicant meets the minimum language level in the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) in English or the Niveaux de competence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) in French for each of the 4 language skill areas (speaking; listening; reading; writing). Applicant did not submit Language results as required documentation. Applicant is therefore refused under R205(c)(ii) Not providing Language Results."
At Verge Immigration Services Inc., our RCIC, Mr. Jatinder Singh, reviewed the file and determined that the strongest path forward was a request for reconsideration of the refused application, rather than starting again from the beginning. We prepared and submitted the reconsideration, addressing the language requirement squarely and setting out why the application should be approved.
IRCC accepted the request, reconsidered the application, and issued the In Canada Approval Letter for the work permit.
A refusal is not always the end of the road. Where a decision can be revisited, a carefully argued request for reconsideration can reopen a file that first appeared closed, and in this case it allowed the applicant to keep working in Canada without interruption.
If you have received a refusal and are unsure of your next step, book a consultation here and we will review your options.