At some point, many Canadian work permit holders need to extend/ change their permit to continue being employed in Canada.
In case you are a foreign national, it is vital to understand that your ability to continue working after your Canadian work permit expires depends upon when you applied for a permit extension or change.
Specifically, only temporary workers who applied for a work permit/ extension before the conclusion of their original permit are eligible to continue working after their first permit expires.
Why Can Some Temporary Workers Work With An Expired Permit?
People who submit a work permit change or extension application in advance of their original permit’s expiry successfully maintain their status & obtain authorization to work until their new application is finalized.
Temporary professionals who find themselves in such a situation can legally continue employment in this nation. However, temporary workers should:
- Stay in Canada
- Work under the exact same conditions as their original work permit
How The Rules Differ Based On Your Unique Situation?
Work permit extension candidates should continue working under the conditions listed on their present Canadian work permit. In addition, individuals who applied for a new work permit continue to work for an employer named on their original permit until a decision is made on the recent application.
Well, when the final decision is made, the temporary worker might start employment under the new permit’s conditions if approved.
Moreover, in case they have OWP, the temporary worker is free to change employers as well as jobs.
Lastly, work permit holders applying for a study permit/ visitor record might only work until their original permit expires. At this time, these applicants must legally stop working. In addition, those who have applied for a study permit also cannot study until a final decision is made.
Proving To The Employer That You Remain Eligible To Work
Work permit extension candidates & those applying for a new work permit might need to prove that they are authorized to work in Canada even after their first permit expires.
In either case, the proof a work permit holder can provide depends on whether they applied for their permit extension/ change on paper or online.
Online Candidates
Online work permit change/ extension applicants can show their employer the following documents:
- Work permit extension letter obtained by IRCC. This should be shown to an employer alongside your present work permit.
- In case an applicant does not obtain a final decision on their work permit extension/ change by the expiry date on their work permit extension letter, they can prove that they are still eligible to work by contacting IRCC.
Paper Candidates
On-paper work permit extension or change candidates can show the following documents to their employees:
- A copy of their work permit change or extension application.
- Proof that they paid their fees for work permit change/ extension application.
- A copy of their application’s postal/ courier tracking information.
Note: On-paper candidates do not need to obtain a work permit extension letter. Well, that’s because IRCC needs to ensure that their application is complete & that they meet the work requirements in Canada.