My Canadian Work Permit Expired: What Are My Options?
An expired Canadian work permit can affect your right to work, your temporary resident status and, in some cases, your longer-term permanent-residence strategy.
However, not everyone whose permit has expired is in the same legal situation.
Your options depend on questions such as:
Did you apply for another work permit before the expiry date?
Did you apply to become a visitor or student instead?
Did you remain inside Canada after applying?
Are you continuing with the same employer?
Are you trying to change employers?
Has IRCC already refused the application?
How long ago did your status expire?
Before submitting another application, it is essential to establish your current status and whether you are legally authorized to continue working.
Start by checking the dates on your work permit
The expiry date on a work permit is normally the date the worker must stop working in Canada. In most cases, it is also the date the person’s temporary resident status expires.
Some work permits contain a separate “Must leave Canada by” date. When that date appears, it determines when the person’s temporary resident status ends, even when it is later than the work-permit expiry date.
Before deciding what to do, confirm:
the work-permit expiry date;
whether the document contains a separate “Must leave Canada by” date;
the date and time any new application was submitted;
the type of application submitted;
whether you remained in Canada;
whether you travelled after applying;
and whether IRCC has already issued a decision.
These details can change both your immigration status and your authorization to work.
Scenario 1: You applied for another work permit before the old permit expired
When a person applies to extend or change the conditions of a work permit before it expires, they are generally allowed to remain legally in Canada while IRCC processes the application.
This is called maintained status.
For online applications, IRCC uses Coordinated Universal Time, or UTC, to determine whether the application was submitted before the deadline. Applicants should not assume that submitting before midnight in their local Canadian time zone will always be sufficient.
Can you continue working under maintained status?
You may generally continue working while IRCC processes the application when:
you applied for another work permit before your previous permit expired;
you remained in Canada; and
you continue respecting the conditions of your original work permit.
For an employer-specific work permit, this normally means continuing with the same:
employer;
occupation;
and work location.
An open work-permit holder may generally continue working under the conditions of the expired open permit, subject to any restrictions listed on it.
Maintained status does not automatically authorize a worker to begin a different job or start working for a new employer.
However, IRCC has a separate process that may allow certain workers to change employers before the new employer-specific work permit is approved.
Can you change employers while the new work permit is processing?
Possibly.
A worker who holds an employer-specific work permit and wants to change employers must first obtain a new job offer and apply from inside Canada for a new employer-specific work permit.
Depending on the position, the new employment may need to be supported by:
a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment, or LMIA; or
a qualifying LMIA-exempt offer of employment submitted through the Employer Portal, unless an exception applies.
For LMIA-supported employment, the worker will generally need the positive LMIA information and the new job offer. For an LMIA-exempt employer-specific permit, the employer will generally need to submit the offer through the Employer Portal and provide the worker with the offer-of-employment number.
After the new employer-specific work-permit application is submitted, the worker may request temporary authorization to start the new job before IRCC makes a final decision.
How to request interim authorization to work for the new employer
After applying for the new employer-specific work permit, the worker must submit an IRCC webform request.
The request must include the priority code:
PPCHANGEWORK2020
The worker provides details about:
the existing or previous work permit;
the current employer and occupation;
the new employer and occupation;
the new work-permit application;
and the application number or courier-tracking number, when applicable.
IRCC indicates that it generally responds by email in approximately 10 to 15 days, although paper applications may take longer.
You must wait for IRCC’s authorization email
Submitting the new work-permit application and webform does not, by itself, authorize the worker to begin the new job.
The worker must wait until IRCC sends an email confirming that they are authorized to work for the new employer while the application is being processed.
That email is not the new work permit. It is temporary authorization to begin the new employment before IRCC makes a final decision on the work-permit application.
Example
Camila holds an employer-specific work permit that expires on September 30.
She receives an offer from a new employer. The position requires an LMIA, and the new employer receives a positive LMIA and provides Camila with the required employment documents.
Before September 30, Camila:
applies from inside Canada for a new employer-specific work permit;
submits an IRCC webform using the priority code PPCHANGEWORK2020; and
requests authorization to begin working for the new employer while the application is processed.
Until IRCC authorizes the change, Camila may continue working for the employer named on her original permit, provided she remains eligible under maintained status.
She cannot begin the new job merely because the new application and webform were submitted.
After IRCC sends the authorization email, she may begin working for the new employer while waiting for the final work-permit decision.
How can you prove that you are authorized to continue working?
Applicants who apply online may receive a WP-EXT letter in their IRCC account. When the applicant remains eligible, the letter can be shown to an employer as evidence of continued work authorization.
IRCC states that eligible applicants may continue working past the date printed on that letter until a decision is made, as long as they continue under the same conditions as the original permit.
Other proof may include:
a copy of the submitted work-permit application;
confirmation that the application was transmitted;
proof of payment;
and postal or courier tracking for paper applications.
Scenario 2: You applied for a visitor record or study permit before the work permit expired
Applying before expiry may allow the person to remain legally in Canada while IRCC processes the new application.
However, maintaining temporary resident status does not always mean maintaining authorization to work.
When a worker applies for a visitor record or study permit instead of another work permit, they must generally stop working on the date the existing work permit expires.
They cannot continue working while waiting for the visitor or study application simply because it was submitted before expiry.
This distinction is essential:
You may have legal status in Canada without having legal authorization to work.
Example
Daniel’s work permit expires on August 31.
Before that date, he applies to remain in Canada as a visitor.
Daniel may remain in Canada while IRCC processes the visitor application, but he must stop working when his work permit expires on August 31.
The visitor application does not extend his work authorization.
Scenario 3: Your permit expired, and you did not apply before the expiry date
When a work permit expires before the person submits another work-permit application, the worker must stop working.
Submitting a late application does not recreate maintained status and does not automatically restore work authorization.
Unauthorized work may create serious complications for future temporary or permanent-residence applications. It can also affect whether the person qualifies for restoration because the regular restoration criteria require compliance with the conditions of the previous stay.
Can you restore your status as a worker?
A former worker may generally apply to restore status when:
the application is submitted within 90 days of losing status;
the person continued to meet the requirements of their stay;
the person respected the conditions of the expired permit before it expired;
and the person is not a temporary resident permit holder.
Restoration is not automatic, and IRCC does not guarantee approval of either the restoration request or the new work permit.
Can you work while the restoration application is processing?
Generally, no.
A person who applies for restoration after losing status must normally stop working and wait until:
their temporary resident status is restored; and
the new work permit is issued.
The applicant may remain in Canada while waiting for further instructions or a decision, but restoration does not provide the same interim work authorization available to an eligible worker under maintained status.
Example
Lucas’s work permit expired on July 1.
He did not submit an extension before that date and continued working until July 8, when he realized the permit had expired.
Lucas must stop working immediately.
He may still be within the 90-day restoration period, but the unauthorized work must be disclosed and may affect whether he meets the restoration requirements. His full status and employment history should be reviewed before an application is submitted.
What does a restoration application normally involve?
A person seeking restoration as a worker generally needs to:
request restoration of temporary resident status;
apply for a new work permit;
establish eligibility for that new work permit;
explain the circumstances that caused the loss of status;
provide the required supporting documents;
and pay the applicable government fees.
As of July 2026, the government fee to restore status as a worker and obtain a new work permit is CAD $401.25, which includes the restoration fee and the standard work-permit processing fee.
An additional open work-permit holder fee may apply when the person is requesting an open work permit. Biometrics fees may also apply.
Government fees can change and should always be confirmed immediately before submission.
What if more than 90 days have passed?
Under the regular restoration rules, a person who lost status more than 90 days ago and did not apply for restoration generally needs to:
leave Canada; and
apply for a new work permit from outside Canada, if eligible.
A limited exception for some provincially supported workers
IRCC currently provides a specific exception for certain workers who:
are applying for an open work permit; and
have an eligible support letter from a participating province or territory confirming that they have been placed in a Provincial Nominee Program Expression of Interest pool or application inventory.
Qualifying workers under this measure may be exempt from the usual 90-day restoration deadline and certain other restoration conditions.
This is a narrow measure and should not be assumed to apply to every provincial nominee or PNP applicant.
What if your work-permit application is refused?
Maintained status and the related authorization to work continue only until IRCC makes a decision on the application.
If the work-permit application is refused, the worker must stop working when notified of the refusal.
The next step may require reviewing:
whether restoration is available;
whether a new work-permit category applies;
whether the employer needs a new or corrected LMIA;
whether the Employer Portal offer was submitted correctly;
whether provincial support is available;
whether visitor status should be requested;
whether reconsideration or judicial review should be explored;
or whether the person must leave Canada.
Submitting the same application again without correcting the reason for refusal may only create another refusal.
The refusal letter, status history, employment documents and legal basis for the original application should be reviewed first.
Be careful about travelling while under maintained status
Maintained status depends on the person remaining in Canada.
A worker who leaves Canada while under maintained status may lose the ability to work after returning and may need to wait until the work-permit application is approved before resuming employment.
Travel should therefore be assessed carefully before departure, particularly when continued employment is important.
Can you simply change to visitor status?
A person may apply to change from worker status to visitor status before the work permit expires.
This may preserve the person’s temporary resident status while IRCC processes the application, but it does not preserve the right to work.
Visitor status may provide additional time to remain legally in Canada, organize a departure or wait for another development. It should not be confused with work authorization.
In addition, not every visitor is eligible to submit a new work-permit application from inside Canada. The person’s eligibility to apply in Canada must be assessed separately.
Does an expired work permit end your permanent-residence pathway?
Not necessarily.
Temporary status, work authorization and permanent-residence eligibility are related but separate legal questions.
The expiry of a work permit may affect:
the ability to continue accumulating Canadian work experience;
ongoing employment with the supporting employer;
the validity or practical value of a job offer;
employer-supported provincial pathways;
compliance with temporary-resident conditions;
and the ability to satisfy program requirements during processing.
However, the effect depends on the specific permanent-residence program.
A person may still qualify for Express Entry or another permanent-residence pathway even after losing work authorization. In another case, the loss of employment or legal status may directly affect provincial eligibility.
The temporary-status problem and permanent-residence strategy should therefore be reviewed together rather than as unrelated applications.
What should you do immediately?
If your work permit has expired, collect:
the expired work permit;
your passport;
the precise expiry date;
any separate “Must leave Canada by” date;
proof of every application submitted to IRCC;
submission confirmations;
government-fee receipts;
IRCC correspondence;
refusal letters, when applicable;
employment contracts;
job-offer letters;
pay records;
LMIA documents;
Employer Portal offer numbers;
provincial nomination or support letters;
permanent-residence application records;
travel history after the application;
and details of any work performed after the permit expired.
Then identify which statement applies:
I applied for another work permit before expiry.
I applied to become a visitor or student before expiry.
I applied for a new employer-specific permit and want to change employers.
I did not submit anything before expiry.
My application was refused.
More than 90 days have passed.
Each scenario creates different options, restrictions and risks.
A work-permit application should be connected to the longer-term plan
An expiring permit is often treated as only an application problem:
“Which form should I submit?”
But the larger question may be:
“Which option protects my status now while also supporting my pathway to permanent residence?”
Before another application is submitted, it may be necessary to compare:
the current work-permit basis;
LMIA-supported and LMIA-exempt options;
employer participation;
provincial support;
occupation and NOC;
job duties;
wage;
language results;
Express Entry eligibility;
provincial pathways;
spouse or family options;
and the time remaining before another deadline.
A temporary application may solve the immediate status problem without solving the larger immigration problem.
How the Immigration Roadmap can help
During the Immigration Roadmap, the work-permit issue is assessed as part of the complete profile.
The review may consider:
current status and work authorization;
application and permit-expiry dates;
maintained-status eligibility;
employer and employment documents;
LMIA or LMIA-exempt options;
the possibility of changing employers;
restoration eligibility;
occupation, NOC and wage;
provincial and federal pathways;
language ability;
family circumstances;
and permanent-residence options.
The objective is to identify:
the immediate action required to protect your immigration position; and
the longer-term strategy that reduces the risk of facing the same deadline again.
Has your work permit expired, or are you unsure whether you can continue working while an application is being processed? Book an Immigration Roadmap to review your status, deadlines and available options before submitting another application.
This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice. Work authorization, maintained status and restoration depend on the applicant’s specific facts, application history and the rules in effect at the relevant time. Immigration requirements and government fees may change.
