If you just received an ITA, I know what you’re feeling.
Relief. Excitement. Finally movement!
And then, sometimes, a second feeling shows up right after:
“Wait… should I actually submit this? Or should I decline?”
I recently had a consultation with someone in exactly that situation.
She received an ITA under CEC. On paper, it looked like great news. Once she took a closer look she was no longer sure if she qualified.
You see, a year before she got her ITA, she stopped working for the most understandable reason: she was trying to comply.
Here’s what happened:
She applied for her PGWP from inside Canada. After applying, she received a maintained status / work authorization letter that included an expiry date. She (very understandably) assumed IRCC knew what they’re writing in official documents, so she took the date seriously and stopped working.
No one can blame her for that.
But this is where immigration gets unfairly technical: the letter is not what gives you the legal authority to work. The legal authority comes from the Regulations.
For many PGWP applicants, the authority to keep working while the PGWP is processing is tied to R186(w) (and the specific conditions that apply to your situation). Regulations trump any template letter. So even if IRCC includes an expiry date that creates confusion, someone who meets the conditions under R186(w) and remains in Canada is still be authorized to work while their PGWP is being processed.
That’s the part most people don’t realize until after the damage is done.
Now, back to the ITA.
An ITA is not IRCC telling you: “We checked everything. You qualify.”
It’s IRCC telling you: “We are giving you a chance to submit an application and prove everything you included in you profile.”
And that’s why my client was stuck.
Because those three weeks matter when you’re building Canadian experience. Sometimes a short gap doesn’t change anything. Sometimes it changes everything, especially when you’re close to a threshold and your CRS and work history need to line up cleanly.
So we had to look at the real question:
Do you have enough qualifying work experience today, and can you prove it within the ITA deadline?
If the answer is yes, you submit confidently.
If the answer is no, (this is important!) submitting anyway and “hoping for the best” is rarely a good strategy.
Here’s why.
First, you could spend months in limbo on an application you already know is weak. Express Entry processing can take around six months (sometimes more). That’s a long time to sit in uncertainty, especially if your status, work plans, or family plans depend on the outcome.
Second, you might lose a better opportunity. If you decline the ITA, your profile generally goes back into the pool (as long as you’re still eligible). That gives you the chance to fix your profile, correct details, build the missing experience, and re-enter the next draw with a stronger, cleaner story.
Sometimes declining your ITA is the smartest way to protect your long-term plan.
What I want you to take from today’s blog is simple:
- Don’t assume an ITA means you qualify.
- Don’t assume a letter means you’re not allowed to work.
- Don’t build your plan around “I hope IRCC understands.”
When in doubt, confirm. Early. Before a three-week gap becomes a six-month headache.
This is general information, not legal advice. If you received an ITA and you’re unsure whether you should submit or decline or if your work authorization while waiting for a permit is unclear, case-specific guidance can help you make the decision based on your dates, your documents, and your goals.
