From a Consultation to a Student Visa to a Post-Graduation Work Permit｜Ms. M

Because I'd been told what kind of questions to expect, I was able to stay calm and apply right at the airport!

Immigration Consultant

Toko Gould

Born in Japan. Worked as a registered dietitian in hospitals and other facilities. Moved to Vancouver, Canada in 2001 on a Working Holiday. Later utilized her professional background to obtain a work visa, then Canadian permanent residency as a skilled worker. Studied Oil and Gas Administration at a college in Alberta, then worked at a U.S.-based oil company. Later studied accounting and transitioned into an accounting role.

Why did you decide to immigrate to Canada?

Using Shiraishi VisaJP Canada, I obtained a Study Permit and a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), but what got me here traces back to a language study trip to Toronto nine years ago. I was already working full-time in Japan at the time, but a desire to change my long-hours work environment lined up with the announcement that Tokyo would host the Olympics, and I quit my job to study English in Canada.

After that, I returned to Japan and found a new job, but I couldn’t forget the work-life balance I’d experienced in Canada, or the environment there where you can take on new challenges regardless of age, and my desire to immigrate to Canada permanently grew stronger.

What made you choose Shiraishi VisaJP Canada?

While researching how to obtain permanent residence in Canada, I came across Shiraishi VisaJP Canada. As I looked through their website and various information, I started to think that if I went to school in Canada, I might have a real chance at permanent residence — and around that time, I learned that immigration consultant Yuki Shiraishi was holding a one-on-one consultation session in Japan, so I booked it right away.

First Consultation and Planning

My first impression on talking with Ms. Shiraishi was that she was a sharp, brisk career woman, but the fact that she listened to my opinions and preferences and proposed a plan that genuinely suited me was what pushed me to pursue a PGWP and, eventually, permanent residence.

Working With a Study-Abroad Agent

After that, Ms. Shiraishi connected me with the study-abroad agent I had used during my working holiday, and together we chose a school. I spent one month studying intensively for the IELTS score required for admission, and managed to get the score I needed on my first attempt.

The Hardest Part

When choosing my program at school, I was torn between Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts. Since my job at the time was Front Office Supervisor, I initially leaned toward Hospitality Management. But Ms. Shiraishi explained that the permanent residence pathway I was considering required one year of skilled work experience in Canada, and that in a hotel front-desk role you’d need to be at least a Supervisor to count as skilled — which would be hard to land straight out of school — whereas graduating from Culinary Arts and working as a Cook would count as skilled work even without a high-level position. So I chose the Culinary Arts program.

What Was Good About Having Them Handle My Application

I’ve heard people say you can get a visa on your own, but I felt that researching everything myself while working would take too much time, and I really didn’t want to fail, so I asked Shiraishi VisaJP Canada, who had pushed me toward permanent residence in the first place, to also handle my visa application. Their response was always fast and precise, and when I once went quiet for a while, they even checked in to make sure my emails were actually getting through. All I had to do was gather the necessary documents and hand them to Ms. Shiraishi.

Why I Asked Shiraishi VisaJP Canada Again

Because the experience was so good that time, I decided to ask Shiraishi VisaJP Canada to handle my Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) application as well. The immigration consultant in charge of my PGWP was Toko Gould.

Preparing for and Applying for the PGWP

After discussing it with Ms. Gould, we decided I would apply for my PGWP at the airport. There are cases where border officers tell arriving travelers they ‘can’t’ apply for a PGWP at the airport, so before I re-entered Canada, Ms. Gould told me to point to the government documentation she had prepared in advance explaining that PGWP applications can be made at the airport, in case that happened.

And sure enough, when I arrived, two or three different officers told me ‘you can’t apply for the PGWP at the airport.’ But I showed them the documents, was directed to the Immigration office, and was issued the permit there without any problem. Because Ms. Gould had told me in advance that this could happen, I was able to stay calm — if I hadn’t known, I think my mind would have gone blank. I’ve never felt so strongly how important it is to prepare and have the right information in advance.

The Timing of the PGWP Application and Its Challenges

The application process for the PGWP was posted on my school’s website, and applying on your own from within Canada after graduating looks relatively simple. But you can only apply for a PGWP once you’ve received your official graduation confirmation letter from the school, and it’s unclear exactly when that letter will arrive. Since I had already decided to make a temporary trip back to Japan, the right way to apply differed depending on the timing: if the letter arrived while I was in Japan, I’d apply at the airport, and if not, I’d apply from within Canada. I was really glad I left this to a professional.

Additional Comments

For all these reasons, I’m truly glad I asked professionals to handle my application. I plan to use Shiraishi VisaJP Canada again when I apply for permanent residence in the future.

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