Can I work while my work permit extension is processing?

Sources checked November 10, 2026.

What happens after you apply before expiry?

Submitting an extension request does not automatically give every applicant the same right to work. The important questions are whether the person applied before the existing authorization expired, what application was submitted, and whether the work conditions are staying the same.

IRCC says that a person who applies to extend or change a work permit before expiry may remain in Canada while the application is processed. If you applied as a visitor or student, stop working when the original work permit expires, even if you may stay in Canada while IRCC processes that application. See IRCC’s guidance for an expiring work permit.

If the original permit expires before a decision, the person may have maintained status and work authorization under the same conditions as the original permit. The legal basis is tied to the timely application and the conditions of the old permit.

It is not a new open work permit, and it does not let an employer-specific permit holder switch to a different employer or location just because an extension is pending.

For an employer-specific permit, compare the actual work to the named employer, job and work location on the permit. A material change can require an application to change the permit conditions.

An open work permit is different: IRCC says open-permit holders can still change employers and jobs while their extension is being processed, subject to any conditions that apply to that permit.

This is why a useful first step is to read the permit itself, not rely only on a past job offer, an expired card, a supervisor’s message or a general description of a worker’s status. Keep the application confirmation and the current permit together. If a condition is unclear, do not assume a pending application has removed it.

Can you keep working under the same conditions?

Often, yes, if the extension application was received before the existing work permit expired and the person remains in Canada. If the old permit expires while the application is in process, IRCC allows eligible applicants to continue working under the existing conditions until a decision is made.

“Same conditions” is practical: it means the old restrictions still matter while the person waits.

For a closed or employer-specific permit, check at least the employer, occupation or job, and work location. A change in duties, pay or worksite may affect the authorization even if the employer’s business name has not changed.

If the current permit identifies a particular location, a move to another location should be assessed against that condition. Do not treat a verbal approval from a manager as a replacement for immigration authorization.

For an open permit, the holder is not restricted to the named employer in the way a closed-permit holder is. The worker may change employers and jobs, subject to the conditions printed on the permit and any occupation-specific restriction.

When the open permit expires after a timely extension application, the person may continue under the applicable original authorization while the application is pending.

IRCC’s operational guidance says maintained status and work authorization under paragraph 186(u) end when you leave Canada. If a border officer lets you return as a visitor while your renewal is still pending, you cannot resume work under the expired permit. If IRCC approved the renewal while you were away, you may be allowed to re-enter as a worker. Check any independent authorization separately.

IRCC explains this in its travel guidance and its maintained-status work guidance.

Do not use “maintained status” as a shortcut label for every pending immigration file. Temporary resident permit applications do not benefit from maintained status. A first work permit application and an application filed after the previous permit expired raise different questions. For a broader overview of skilled-worker pathways, see our Skilled worker immigration program page.

The exact filing date and status history matter, so keep proof of when IRCC received the application.

What does an employer-specific permit allow?

An employer-specific work permit identifies the employment conditions under which its holder may work. If the person submits a timely extension to continue the same job and the permit expires before IRCC decides, continued work is generally under the existing employer, job and location conditions.

The extension request does not rewrite those restrictions while it is pending.

If a worker is changing employers, job duties or work location, IRCC’s rules for changing permit conditions apply. The worker may need a new employer-specific permit. A new employer may need to complete an LMIA or an employer-compliance step before the person can apply.

The employee should not start the different work merely because an application or offer has been prepared.

IRCC has a separate process through which some workers in Canada can request authorization to change jobs while an application is being processed. That is not automatic. It requires the applicable request and IRCC’s authorization. Until the authorization is granted, the person should follow the existing permit conditions.

A request that has been sent is not the same as permission that has been issued.

Employers should avoid making payroll or scheduling decisions based on an assumed extension. They can review the current permit, application receipt and any IRCC letter the worker shares.

If the employer needs proof beyond the date printed on a letter, IRCC explains that continued work may still be allowed while the application is pending when the conditions remain the same. The employer should keep a record of the documents checked.

What if an LMIA or Quebec Acceptance Certificate is still being processed?

Some employer-specific permits require a Labour Market Impact Assessment. The employer, not the worker, is responsible for applying for the LMIA. In most cases IRCC says the worker should wait for a positive LMIA decision before applying for the work permit extension.

IRCC’s applicant instructions describe a narrow exception if your permit expires in two weeks or less and your employer has submitted a complete application for an LMIA or, where required, a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ). You must include the supporting documents IRCC lists. A pending LMIA or CAQ alone does not extend your status. See IRCC’s applicant instructions.

IRCC says it will wait for the required LMIA or CAQ before deciding the work permit extension.

If the job is LMIA-exempt, the employer may need to submit an offer of employment through the Employer Portal and pay the employer compliance fee, unless an exemption applies. The worker still needs the correct work permit before starting employment under changed conditions.

The worker should not assume the LMIA-exempt label means no employer step is required.

Keep the sequence clear: employer application or offer, worker’s permit application, proof of timely submission, and any later request from IRCC. If IRCC requests a missing document, upload it through the method in the request. A submitted extension can remain undecided until the employer’s required approval arrives.

How do you know whether the application was received in time?

IRCC must receive the application before the work permit expires for the person to rely on maintained status. For an online application, IRCC uses Coordinated Universal Time. The submission must be made before midnight UTC on the expiry date.

Local time can differ from UTC, so a last-minute submission should not be planned around the clock on a phone or computer set to another time zone.

For a paper application, IRCC normally uses the date the case processing centre receives it. If it arrives after the permit expires, IRCC’s applicant instructions say it counts back seven days to determine the received date. Keep courier tracking and a copy of the application. See IRCC’s filing instructions.

Completeness matters. Online filing lets an applicant answer the questionnaire and receive a personalized checklist. Review each checklist item, confirm the forms are signed where required, and check that the uploaded files are readable.

Keep a copy of the entire submitted package and confirmation page, not only a screenshot that an account was opened.

IRCC advises applicants to consider current processing times and apply once documents are ready. A processing-time estimate is not a guarantee that a decision will arrive before the current permit expires. Plan for the possibility of a pending decision and confirm in advance which documents an employer may ask to see.

What proof can you show an employer?

For an eligible online extension or change application, IRCC says the WP-EXT letter (except the separate PGWP letter) lists an expiry date 365 days after IRCC receives the application. That printed date does not itself end eligible work authorization if the application is still pending and the original conditions remain the same.

For PGWP applicants, IRCC identifies a separate 180-day validity date; eligible graduates may still work until a decision even after that date. See the current IRCC after-you-extend instructions (modified 14 October 2026) and PGWP work guidance (modified 3 November 2026).

Applicants who filed on paper do not receive that online letter. IRCC says proof can include a copy of the work-permit application, fee-payment proof and postal or courier tracking information. Keep these records together and share only what is needed to confirm authorization.

A proof letter is not a new permit and does not remove work restrictions. If an employer asks for confirmation, share IRCC’s current explanation and keep the original letter intact.

What happens if IRCC returns or refuses the application, or you withdraw it?

Returned as incomplete: IRCC treats an incomplete application it returns as though it was never submitted. It does not create maintained status, so your original expiry date applies unless another basis for status exists.

Refused or withdrawn: If your original permit has already expired and you are relying on maintained status from that application, a refusal ends that status on the decision date. If IRCC registers a withdrawal, maintained status based on that application ends on the registration date. After a refusal, the 90-day restoration period starts on the date of refusal for those who qualify. See IRCC’s maintained-status instructions and IRPR section 182.

Second application: IRCC says an extension application submitted after your status expires does not independently give you maintained status. If your first application is refused, returned or withdrawn, do not rely on the second filing alone. Check the timing and any other authorization you hold.

What if you applied after the permit expired?

If the previous permit expired before IRCC received the extension application, the person generally cannot continue working while waiting for restoration. They may be able to apply to restore temporary resident status as a worker, if eligible, and request a new work permit. Restoration is not the same as maintained status.

A person in this situation should stop work unless a different authorization applies.

Do not assume a late application is made timely by paying a fee, sending an explanation or receiving an automated notice. Record the expiry date, submission date and any period of work after expiry.

Get advice about the person’s full history before deciding what application to file, because unauthorized work can create additional consequences.

If the permit has not expired yet, prepare early. IRCC recommends applying at least 30 days before expiry, while also advising applicants to consider processing times. The best timing depends on the documents and employer steps required.

A complete application submitted with time to spare is easier to document than a rushed submission at the deadline.

What practical steps should you take?

Keep the plan specific to the actual permit. A person with an employer-specific authorization should confirm that duties, employer and location remain consistent. A person with an open permit should still check any occupation or other restriction.

The phrase “extension in process” does not answer whether a particular shift, site or job is allowed.

Update other records before the old permit expires where possible. IRCC notes that people on maintained status may be unable to renew provincial documents such as a driver’s licence or health card.

A person may continue working under the initial conditions, but that does not automatically extend every provincial document or the expiry date of a Social Insurance Number record.

If an employer needs evidence, give them the relevant IRCC letter or proof of submission and explain the conditions that continue to apply. Do not send account passwords or complete personal files. Keep the original records available in case the employer, a regulator or IRCC needs to confirm the status history.

Frequently asked questions

This article is general information only. It is not legal advice or a legal opinion, and it does not create a consultant-client relationship.