An Immigration News Canada fact-check published on March 9 warns that fabricated blog posts and social-media threads are circulating false claims about a new 18-month Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) extension supposedly open until April 30, 2026. The article traces the rumour to unlicensed websites purporting to offer step-by-step application guides. IRCC has repeatedly confirmed that the special COVID-era PGWP extensions ended in December 2023 and will not be renewed. Submitting an application for a non-existent program offers no legal status and risks forfeiting fees, losing employment authorisation and even triggering removal proceedings once maintained-status windows close. The hoax comes at a sensitive moment: more than 314,000 work permits are due to expire in Q1 2026, and graduates are scrambling for options amid backlog-induced uncertainty.
![IRCC debunks viral ‘18-month PGWP extension’ hoax targeting foreign graduates]()
To help prospective applicants cut through misinformation, VisaHQ provides an online hub that aggregates real-time updates from official Canadian sources and offers guided, compliant application support for legitimate visas and work permits. Explore the available pathways and start your process safely at https://www.visahq.com/canada/
Unscrupulous actors are exploiting that anxiety to drive web traffic and sell unauthorised “consulting” services. Employers with PGWP-holding staff should proactively communicate legitimate pathways—such as LMIA-supported closed permits, provincial nominee programs and bridging open work permits linked to permanent-residence applications—to prevent talent loss. Individuals should verify any policy change on the official canada.ca site and consult only regulated Canadian immigration consultants or lawyers.
To help prospective applicants cut through misinformation, VisaHQ provides an online hub that aggregates real-time updates from official Canadian sources and offers guided, compliant application support for legitimate visas and work permits. Explore the available pathways and start your process safely at https://www.visahq.com/canada/
Unscrupulous actors are exploiting that anxiety to drive web traffic and sell unauthorised “consulting” services. Employers with PGWP-holding staff should proactively communicate legitimate pathways—such as LMIA-supported closed permits, provincial nominee programs and bridging open work permits linked to permanent-residence applications—to prevent talent loss. Individuals should verify any policy change on the official canada.ca site and consult only regulated Canadian immigration consultants or lawyers.
