How to Extend Your Work Permit In Canada

How to Extend Your Work Permit In Canada

A Work Permit is a legal document allowing foreign citizens migrating to Canada or foreign citizens who are already in Canada to work for a Canadian employer.

Canada is a top destination for many foreign nationals looking to work, study, or live permanently in the country. Most people looking to work in Canada will require a permit, except in a few cases where a work permit is not required.

The government of Canada grants close to 500,000 work permits each year to foreign citizens who wish to enter the Canadian labour market.

If you’re looking to migrate to Canada to work or even to study, you might at some point need to extend your work permit so keep reading to know how to apply for a Canadian work permit extension.

Why you might need a work permit extension

A work permit is a temporary document that allows immigrants to work in Canada and it has an expiry date. Usually, your work permit expires before your passport expires or around the same time your passport is expiring. A work permit cannot be issued beyond your passport expiry date.

This is one major reason why people usually have to extend their work permits. A work permit cannot be valid for an expired passport. Once your passport expires, you’re going to need to apply for a work permit extension. To a great extent, your passport expiry date determines the length or the validity period of your work permit.

How to apply for a work permit extension

If your work permit is about to expire and you wish to extend it, you have 30 days to apply for an extension before your current work permit expires. Technically an applicant has until the last day of their current work permit to apply for an extension but this is not recommended. You need to apply for your work permit extension early to save yourself from unnecessary stress and hassle.

If you apply for your work permit extension before it expires you have maintained your status. Therefore, if your current work permit expires while your application for an extension is being processed, you’re legally allowed to continue to stay in Canada until your application is approved. Also, you can keep working for your current employer without a work permit until your work permit extension is granted.

The processing time for a work permit extension is about 163 days. Applicants must wait for about 6 months to get their applications approved.

If your work permit expires

Once your work permit expires you will lose your eligibility to work in Canada and will have to leave the country. Before you leave, you still have up to 3 months to apply to restore your work permit. Within these 3 months, you are only allowed to stay back in Canada but cannot work for any employer until your work permit is restored.

Work Permit for a new job

Work permits are employer-specific, except open work permits. If you want to change your job or employer in Canada, you will need to apply for a new work permit.

Due to COVID-19, a worker does not need to wait until their work permit application is approved before they start their new job. All they need is an email from IRCC permitting them to change their job or employer.

Open work permit holders can always change their jobs or employers at any time as long as their work permit is valid.

Maple Education Canada assists students and workers in Canada with services such as Study Permit Renewals, Work Permits, and Permanent Residence Applications. We also offer top-notch immigration services to help people migrate to Canada easily. You can reach out to our team of Certified Canadian Consultants via email: info@mapleeducation.ca for more information.

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