A member who completed a 1-year postgraduate program in Ottawa and was waiting on their PGWP asked for advice after hearing it's hard to get PR with only 1 year of Canadian study and 1 year of Canadian work experience, given their profile (age 26, bachelor's in electrical engineering, IELTS 6.5, 1-year home-country experience).
What the thread suggested:- Check your current CRS score first. If it's below roughly 480, it was suggested you consider applying for an additional program to boost your credentials and CRS points, rather than relying solely on your current Canadian study/work experience.
- Consider provinces with more favorable PNP or Express Entry-linked draws, such as the Atlantic provinces or Saskatchewan, which were recommended as generally more accessible options for profiles in this range.
- If you find an employer willing to extend your work permit, use it to build more Canadian work experience before applying — additional Canadian experience directly strengthens both CRS score and PR pathway eligibility (e.g. Canadian Experience Class).
The practical takeaway: don't assume 1 year of study and work automatically rules out PR — check your CRS score, look at regional PNP options in provinces like Atlantic Canada or Saskatchewan, and if possible extend your Canadian work experience through your employer before applying.