Can You Work While on Leave From Your Studies in Canada? PGWP Risks Explained

If your school approved a leave of absence and your study permit said you were allowed to work, you may have assumed you could keep working while you were away from classes.

Unfortunately, that is not how IRCC’s rules work.

IRCC expressly states:

“You can’t work on or off campus during an authorized leave from your study program…”

That rule applies even if your study permit says you are allowed to work in Canada.

This is an important distinction because an authorized leave itself may be completely legitimate. You can have a properly approved leave from your designated learning institution (DLI), remain compliant with the rules surrounding that leave, and still separately engage in unauthorized work if you continue working during it.

For students who discover this only when preparing their Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), the situation can be stressful. Unauthorized work can create a work-permit issuance problem, but the consequences depend on the exact circumstances, when the work stopped, and whether one of the exceptions in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations applies.

This guide explains what IRCC actually says, what the Regulations require, and where the outcome of an individual application can become more nuanced in practice.

Can You Work During an Authorized Leave of Absence?

Generally, no.

Students who meet the applicable requirements can normally work off campus without a separate work permit under IRPR paragraph 186(v). Since November 8, 2024, eligible students can generally work up to 24 hours per week off campus during regular academic sessions and full-time during regularly scheduled breaks.

However, an authorized leave is not a regularly scheduled break.

A scheduled break is something built into your DLI’s academic calendar, such as Reading Week, winter holidays or a scheduled summer break.

An authorized leave is a period when you have temporarily stopped your normal studies with authorization from your school.

IRCC specifically says that if you are on an authorized leave, you cannot work off campus and can only return to work once you resume your studies. The same restriction applies to on-campus work.

There is a narrow exception where a school is temporarily closed because of a strike. IRCC states that a student who was otherwise authorized to work may remain authorized to work for up to 150 days in that situation.

Outside of an applicable exception, however, continuing to work during an authorized leave can constitute unauthorized work.

But My Study Permit Says I Can Work

This is one of the most common sources of confusion.

Many study permits contain wording indicating that the holder may work on or off campus if they meet the applicable requirements.

The important part is “if meeting eligibility criteria.”

The wording printed on the study permit does not give you unconditional work authorization for the entire validity period of the permit.

Your authorization to work as a student comes from the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. For off-campus work, for example, IRPR 186(v) requires the student to meet specific conditions, including being a qualifying full-time student at a DLI.

When your circumstances change, your ability to work can change as well.

That is why IRCC’s own student-facing instructions explicitly warn that you cannot work during an authorized leave even if your study permit says you are allowed to work in Canada.

Working During Leave Is Not the Same as Failing to Actively Pursue Your Studies

This distinction is extremely important.

Under IRPR subsection 220.1(1), a study permit holder in Canada must remain enrolled at the DLI named on their permit and actively pursue their course or program of study.

IRCC recognizes that a properly authorized leave can still be compatible with this requirement. Its current PGWP guidance says that there are circumstances where a student can take an authorized leave of up to 150 days and still meet their study-permit conditions.

Therefore, if you took a legitimate DLI-authorized leave within the permitted framework, the leave itself does not automatically mean you failed to actively pursue your studies.

Working during that leave is a separate issue.

The problem is that while you were on leave, you no longer met the conditions allowing you to work as a student.

The general condition applying to temporary residents under IRPR 183(1)(b) is that they must not work unless authorized by the Regulations.

So a student could potentially have:

A compliant authorized leave from their studies, but at the same time unauthorized work because they continued working during that leave.

Those two issues should not be treated as though they are the same violation.

Why Unauthorized Work Can Affect a PGWP

A PGWP is a work permit.

That means an applicant must not only meet the specific PGWP eligibility requirements; the officer must also be legally permitted to issue the work permit.

This is where IRPR paragraph 200(3)(e) becomes important.

The Regulation provides that an officer shall not issue a work permit to a foreign national who has engaged in unauthorized work or study in Canada, or failed to comply with a condition of a previous permit or authorization, unless one of the exceptions in the Regulation applies.

IRCC’s internal processing instructions contain a separate section specifically addressing this rule under “Work permit issuance prohibitions.”

Those instructions confirm that an officer should not issue a work permit where the applicant engaged in unauthorized work and the applicable exception has not been met.

This is different from saying unauthorized work automatically makes someone permanently ineligible for a PGWP.

One of the most important exceptions is the six-month rule.

The Six-Month Rule for Unauthorized Work

Under IRPR 200(3)(e)(i), the work-permit prohibition does not continue indefinitely.

The Regulation provides an exception where:

six months have elapsed since the unauthorized work, unauthorized study or failure to comply ceased.

IRCC’s officer instructions explain this in practical terms: an officer may issue a work permit once six months have passed since the foreign national stopped the unauthorized work or study, assuming the applicant otherwise meets the applicable requirements.

This is important for PGWP applicants.

If you worked during an authorized leave, you need to establish the exact date the unauthorized work stopped.

The six-month period is not calculated from the date you graduate. It is not calculated from the date you discover the mistake. It is not calculated from the date you submit your PGWP.

It runs from the cessation of the unauthorized work.

Does That Mean Unauthorized Work Is Forgiven After Six Months?

No.

The six-month provision does not erase what happened.

It is an exception to a work-permit issuance prohibition.

If six months have elapsed, R200(3)(e)(i) may mean that the previous unauthorized work no longer prevents an officer from issuing a work permit on that particular ground.

But the unauthorized work still occurred.

You still need to disclose it. It remains part of your immigration history. There may also be separate issues involving your temporary resident status, other study-permit conditions, or other immigration applications.

The six-month exception should therefore not be described as IRCC “forgiving” unauthorized work.

It is a specific rule contained in the Regulations.

Do You Have to Wait Six Months Before Applying for Your PGWP?

This can become complicated because two different timelines may overlap.

PGWP applicants generally have 180 days after receiving confirmation that they completed their program to apply for a PGWP.

At the same time, R200(3)(e)(i) deals with whether a work permit can be issued where there has been unauthorized work and six months have not yet elapsed.

The Regulation is framed as an issuance prohibition rather than simply saying that an application cannot be submitted during those six months.

However, submitting an application while the prohibition still applies can obviously create significant refusal risk if the officer assesses the application before an applicable exception has been satisfied.

At the same time, simply waiting can cause a person to miss their PGWP application deadline or create separate status problems.

This is one of the situations where the exact dates matter enormously. The date the unauthorized work stopped, program completion date, study-permit validity, current status and PGWP deadline should all be reviewed together before determining the appropriate strategy.

How Does IRCC Find Out About Unauthorized Work?

For an in-Canada PGWP application made using IMM 5710, IRCC’s own instructions say that the regular employment-history section is not required for co-op work permit and PGWP applicants.

So it is incorrect to assume that every PGWP applicant must provide a complete 10-year employment history as part of that section.

But that does not mean unauthorized work does not need to be disclosed.

IMM 5710 has a separate Background Information section, and IRCC says that all questions in that section must be answered.

One of those questions specifically asks whether the applicant has ever remained beyond their authorized status, attended school without authorization or worked without authorization in Canada. If the answer is yes, the applicant must provide details.

That means a student who knows they worked without authorization should not simply omit the issue because the regular employment section is not required.

IRCC may also have information from previous applications and can request additional information or documentation where compliance concerns arise.

The important point is that the PGWP application itself asks the applicant directly about unauthorized work.

Why You Should Not Hide Unauthorized Work

Unauthorized work is already an immigration compliance problem.

Providing false information about it can create a second and potentially much more serious problem.

Under IRPA section 40(1)(a), a foreign national can be found inadmissible for directly or indirectly misrepresenting or withholding a material fact relating to a relevant matter where that information induces or could induce an error in the administration of the Act.

Not every incorrect answer automatically results in a misrepresentation finding. Materiality and the surrounding circumstances still matter.

But knowingly answering “No” to a background question asking whether you have worked without authorization, when you know the answer is “Yes,” can potentially raise a misrepresentation issue.

A misrepresentation finding is much more serious than simply explaining past unauthorized work. If you are inadmissible for Misrepresentation. You will be banned from Canada for 5 years.

This is why hiding unauthorized work to obtain a PGWP can create problems far beyond the PGWP application itself.

Even if an application were initially approved, a material misrepresentation can potentially become relevant later when applying for permanent residence or another immigration benefit.

What Happens to Your Status If You Worked Without Authorization?

Unauthorized work is a failure to comply with the conditions imposed on a temporary resident.

However, it is important not to oversimplify what happens next.

It is not accurate to say that your study permit automatically disappears the instant you perform one unauthorized shift.

Under IRPA section 47, temporary resident status can be lost when an officer or the Immigration Division makes a determination that the foreign national failed to comply with a requirement of the Act.

Unauthorized work can therefore have status consequences, but the precise consequences depend on the person’s circumstances and any determination made by IRCC.

Restoration should also not be treated as an automatic solution to every form of unauthorized work or non-compliance. The restoration provisions in IRPR 182 have specific requirements and limitations, and the analysis can differ depending on exactly which immigration condition was breached.

This is another reason the exact legal issue should be identified rather than treating every PGWP compliance problem as the same.

What Makes an Unauthorized Work Case More or Less Serious?

IRCC does not publish a formal “seriousness test” for unauthorized work.

There is no published rule saying, for example, that working one shift is acceptable but working for three months is not. There is no published exemption simply because the student misunderstood the rule, needed the money, received incorrect advice or only worked a small number of hours.

If the work was unauthorized, it was unauthorized.

However, that does not mean every case looks identical in practice.

In the complex PGWP applications we see, factors such as the length of the unauthorized work, whether it happened once or repeatedly, how many hours were involved, why it happened, whether the student stopped when they became aware of the issue, whether the student voluntarily disclosed it, how much time has passed, and whether there are other academic or immigration compliance problems can materially affect how the case needs to be presented.

Those are practical observations from casework. They are not IRCC-published exceptions to the Regulations, and applicants should not assume that sympathetic circumstances guarantee approval.

Where a mandatory legal requirement is not met and no regulatory exception applies, IRCC does not publish a general discretionary power allowing officers simply to waive the requirement.

At the same time, complex applications involve factual assessments, and in practice we do see outcomes that are not always predictable simply from reading a short summary of the rules.

An approval in one difficult case therefore does not establish a legal precedent or guarantee that another applicant with similar facts will be approved.

A Real PGWP Case Involving Unauthorized Work During Leave

We have represented a PGWP applicant whose immigration and academic history included several significant complications.

The student took multiple authorized leaves of absence, worked without authorization during periods of authorized leave, changed programs multiple times and ultimately took approximately five years to complete a two-year diploma.

The application therefore involved two different categories of concern.

The unauthorized work during authorized leave had to be analyzed under the rules governing work authorization and work-permit issuance.

Separately, the student’s lengthy academic history, multiple program changes and overall progression raised questions about whether the student had continuously and actively pursued their studies.

We did not try to pretend these issues did not exist.

The submission acknowledged the unauthorized work, examined the relevant dates and applicable regulatory provisions, documented the circumstances surrounding the student’s academic history and addressed the broader study-permit compliance concerns.

The application was ultimately approved and the student received a three-year PGWP.

Read the full case study: PGWP After Unauthorized Work & Non-Compliance →

That outcome should not be interpreted to mean unauthorized work is acceptable or that an officer is required to approve another application with the same problem.

It demonstrates instead why the exact facts, applicable regulatory exceptions and other compliance issues need to be separated and analyzed properly.

What Should You Do If You Worked During an Authorized Leave?

Do not assume that because your school approved the leave, you were also allowed to work.

And do not assume that because the unauthorized work happened several years ago, you can simply answer “No” when IRCC asks whether you have ever worked without authorization.

Before submitting a PGWP application, reconstruct the timeline carefully. At minimum, determine the dates of the authorized leave, the dates and hours you worked, whether the work was on or off campus, when the unauthorized work stopped, when studies resumed, when you completed your program, the expiry date of your study permit, your present status and whether six months have elapsed since the unauthorized work ended.

Those facts allow the issue to be assessed against the actual Regulations instead of relying on assumptions.

Where there are also part-time semesters, unauthorized study, program changes, gaps, extended leaves or other status issues, the entire academic and immigration history should generally be assessed together.

Get a Free Personalized PGWP Assessment →

For cases involving multiple overlapping compliance issues, our team specializes specifically in complex PGWP situations.

Learn About Complex PGWP Cases →

 Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work during an authorized leave if my study permit says I can work?

Generally, no.

IRCC specifically says that students cannot work on or off campus during an authorized leave, even if the study permit contains a condition saying the student may work in Canada. Work can generally resume once studies resume and the student again meets the applicable work-authorization requirements.

Is an authorized leave the same as a scheduled school break?

No.

During a regularly scheduled break that forms part of the DLI’s academic calendar, an otherwise eligible student may work full-time off campus.

An individual authorized leave is different. Students generally cannot work during that leave.

Does working during authorized leave make the leave unauthorized?

Not necessarily.

The school’s authorization of your leave and your authorization to work are separate issues.

A DLI may have properly authorized the leave, meaning the leave itself can potentially remain compliant with IRCC’s authorized-leave rules. But working during that period can still be unauthorized because student work authorization does not generally continue during an authorized leave.

Does working during an authorized leave mean I was not actively pursuing my studies?

Not automatically.

IRCC recognizes that an authorized leave of up to 150 days can still be consistent with meeting study-permit conditions.

The unauthorized work is a separate compliance issue. It should not automatically be converted into a finding that the authorized leave itself violated the actively-pursuing-studies requirement.

Will unauthorized work automatically cause my PGWP to be refused?

Not necessarily, but it can prevent a work permit from being issued.

IRPR 200(3)(e) prohibits work-permit issuance after unauthorized work unless one of the listed exceptions applies. One important exception applies after six months have elapsed since the unauthorized work stopped.

Other eligibility, admissibility and status requirements must still be met.

What if the unauthorized work happened more than six months ago?

The six-month exception under R200(3)(e)(i) may mean that the previous unauthorized work no longer prevents issuance of a work permit on that particular ground.

It does not erase the unauthorized work, and it does not mean you should answer “No” when an immigration form asks whether you have ever worked without authorization.

Does the six-month rule mean officers are using discretion?

No.

Where six months have elapsed and R200(3)(e)(i) applies, that exception comes directly from the Regulations. An officer issuing a work permit in those circumstances is not necessarily “forgiving” the unauthorized work.

There can still be areas of judgment in assessing the facts and other eligibility or compliance issues, but the six-month exception itself is a regulatory provision.

Do I have to disclose unauthorized work on my PGWP application?

For an in-Canada PGWP application using IMM 5710, the regular employment-history section is not required for PGWP applicants.

However, the Background Information section is required, and it specifically asks whether you have ever worked without authorization in Canada. If you have, the correct answer and an explanation should be provided.

What happens if I don’t disclose it?

Knowingly providing an inaccurate answer or withholding a material fact can potentially raise misrepresentation under IRPA section 40.

A misrepresentation finding can result in five years of inadmissibility and can seriously affect future immigration applications, including permanent residence.

I only worked a few shifts. Does that matter?

IRCC does not publish a minimum number of hours or shifts below which unauthorized work becomes acceptable.

A short or isolated period can still be unauthorized work.

In practice, the extent of the violation and the surrounding circumstances may be relevant when explaining a case, but those factors are not formal exemptions from the Regulations.

I didn’t know I couldn’t work during my leave. Does that make the work authorized?

No.

A misunderstanding of the rule does not itself create work authorization.

However, the circumstances explaining how the violation occurred can still be relevant to presenting a complete and credible immigration history. They should be treated as context-not as a legal exemption.

Can I still get a PGWP after unauthorized work?

Potentially.

Whether a PGWP can ultimately be issued depends on the specific facts, how long ago the unauthorized work ended, whether an exception under R200(3)(e) applies, whether all PGWP eligibility criteria are otherwise met, the applicant’s status and whether there are any additional compliance or admissibility concerns.

Unauthorized work should therefore be assessed as one part of the complete PGWP application rather than assuming either that approval is guaranteed or that refusal is inevitable.